The first cuts of steel for the GranMorgu FPSO* have taken place at three production yards in China, marking the official start of the construction phase.
Technip Energies, in a joint venture with SBM Offshore (STS JV), will construct the FPSO GranMorgu which will be operated by TotalEnergies (in partnership with APA Corporation and Staatsolie) and located offshore Suriname, South America.
Construction for both the hull and topside modules is being carried out at three locations in China:
- BOMESC yard in Tianjin, where the first cut of steel took place on May 20.
- CMHI yard in Nantong, where the first cut occurred on May 26, related to modification works on the MPF** hull, which had already been built and delivered to the project.
- COSCO yard in Qidong, where the first cut took place on June 6.
The project, which was awarded in November 2024, takes advantage of Technip Energies’ expertise in engineering and modularization for the topsides while making use of SBM Offshore’s Fast4Ward® hull.
Notably, the FPSO sets new standards for lower-carbon offshore production. It will include an all-electric drive configuration, with zero routine flaring and full reinjection of associated gas into the reservoirs. Power usage will be optimized with waste heat recovery units and an advanced water-cooling system will offer improved efficiency. In addition, the FPSO is expected to be equipped with a permanent methane detection and monitoring system, based on a network of sensors.
* FPSO: Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading vessel
** MPF: Multi-Purpose Floater