China's Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) recently achieved an important technological breakthrough in its green and low-carbon development. The carbon capture and liquefaction facility at the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) in Chengmai, a county in southern China's Hainan Province, has commenced operations and is now running smoothly. The milestone represents a significant step forward in the industrialization of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology in Hainan, providing solid scientific and industrial support for the construction of a world-class ecological civilization pilot zone in the FTP.

The carbon capture and liquefaction facility has effectively captured, purified and liquefied carbon dioxide from the associated gas in the oilfields. Currently, the facility produces over 100 tonnes of liquid carbon dioxide per day. Based on the advancement of CCUS industrialization, CNPC is actively exploring cutting-edge carbon storage technologies. Through continuous optimization of the capture process and the establishment of a comprehensive monitoring system, the project has achieved long-term stable carbon dioxide storage, providing a reliable safeguard for the creation of a safe, low-carbon energy system in Hainan FTP.

To date, the pilot experiments have stored 360,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, while simultaneously increasing oil and gas production by 150,000 tonnes. This is equivalent to offsetting the annual carbon emissions of 150,000 cars, according to the CNPC.