China's inaugural offshore million-tonne carbon storage project commenced operations in the South China Sea on Thursday, contributing to the green development of the Greater Bay Area.

Developed by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the project aims to store over 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), the equivalent of planting approximately 14 million trees.

The project's implementation signifies China's accomplishment in acquiring a comprehensive range of technologies and equipment for capturing, processing, injecting, storing, and monitoring CO2 at sea.

Located 200 kilometers southwest of Shenzhen and serving the Enping 15-1 oil platform, the project captures and processes CO2 from oilfields. Subsequently, the CO2 is injected into a "dome" geological structure situated approximately 800 meters beneath the seabed and about 3 km away from the platform.

The project not only stores CO2 emitted during oil and gas extraction on offshore platforms but also assists in storing CO2 released by high-emission enterprises along the coastline. This endeavor aids the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in attaining green and low-carbon development, CMG reported, citing facility staff.

Additionally, the project paves the way for China to achieve its "dual carbon" objectives of peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and attaining carbon neutrality by 2060, according to CNOOC.

Building upon this achievement, CNOOC has initiated China's first 10-million-tonne carbon capture and storage cluster project in Huizhou City in south China's Guangdong Province. The project involves capturing CO2 emitted in Daya Bay and transporting it to the Pearl River Mouth Basin sea area for storage.