Johan Sverdrup Shore Power Switched On
Power from shore was officially switched on for Equinor's Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea on Tuesday.
The use of shore power over the 50 year life of the 3.2 billion-barrel project is anticipated to make it one of the most carbon-efficient fields worldwide as it will operate without the use of fossil fuels.
Full-field production is estimated to reach 660,000 barrels of oil per day at plateau, with a break-even of less than $20 per barrel, and with CO2 emissions of 0.67 kg per barrel. Power from shore to Johan Sverdrup will help reduce emissions by an estimated 460,000 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to the emissions of 230,000 private cars each year.
As shore power is available prior to commissioning, it will be used for several typically energy intensive operations including the tieback of the eight predrilled production wells. It is also now supplying power to the temporary accommodation rig Haven – where most of the 900 offshore workers are accommodated.
In phase 1 of the Johan Sverdrup development, the power-from-shore solution has a capacity of 100MW, based on a production capacity of up to 440,000 barrels per day.
ABB delivered the HVDC equipment for the two converter stations, onshore at Haugsneset close to Kårstø and offshore at the Johan Sverdrup field center. First, at Haugsneset, the electric current is converted from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC), enabling the transmission of electricity for 200 kilometers offshore, while minimizing loss. Then, offshore, the electric current is converted back to the alternating current needed to run the field center equipment.
Aibel was responsible for all construction related to the onshore converter station at Haugsneset. Aker Solutions was responsible for the engineering and Samsung Heavy Industries built the riser platform including the converter module where the HVDC equipment is placed offshore. And NKT was responsible for fabrication and installation of the 200 kilometer power cables from Haugsneset out to the Johan Sverdrup field center offshore.
In Johan Sverdrup phase 2, with start-up expected in late 2022, the power from shore capacity will be expanded with 200MW, giving a total capacity of 300MW. This enables Johan Sverdrup to facilitate access to power from shore to the other fields at Utsira High – Edvard Grieg, Gina Krog and Ivar Aasen. The expanded power capacity will also be needed for the added Johan Sverdrup production capacity of 220,000 barrels per day and the total full field production capacity of 660,000 barrels daily.