Milestone for power

ABB is providing design, engineering, purchasing, installation, and commissioning of the HVDC systems onshore and offshore for the first phase of power from shore to the Johan Sverdrup offshore field. The power link will operate at +/- 80 kilovolt (kV) and is scheduled for operation by the end of 2018.

Located 160 km west of Stavanger in Southwest Norway, the huge Johan Sverdrup offshore field will have an estimated production peak of around 660,000 barrels of oil equivalents per day. The first phase of the oil field development consists of four platforms.

A large amount of power will be transmitted to the offshore field when in operation, which will mainly come from renewable energy sources like Norwegian hydropower. The operator Statoil estimates that power from shore to the Johan Sverdrup offshore field through the 200km subsea cable reduces emissions of greenhouse gasses by 80 to 90 per cent compared to on-board generation of power by gas turbines.

In addition to reduced emissions, electrification of offshore oil and gas production also includes improved operations, reduced maintenance costs and better health, safety and environment (HSE), such as noise reduction.