Power Subsea power
What does it take to build a
How did the Subsea Power Joint Industry Project start? In 2011, ABB was awarded a contract from Equinor to provide power for the world’s first subsea compression system to Asgard gas field. In the absence of any power distribution on the seabed, each compressor initially had a cable tied back to the floating facility. This issue was subsequently addressed and all process equipment is now located on the seabed, powered by a singular cable with modular power distribution. In 2013, ABB, Equinor, Chevron and Total formed a JIP to develop this concept further, with a power solution for transmission and distribution of electrical power up to 100MW, over a distance up to 600km and to depths of up to 3,000m for 30 years. It targets greater recovery rates, reduced production costs and further development of deep-water production. Power will be supplied with a single cable, instead of one for each load. All equipment for medium voltage distribution, power conversion, automation and auxiliary power will be fitted in subsea enclosures. A modular power distribution system on the seafloor will drive pumps, compressors and other process plants.
subsea power station? How does the technology work? Subsea power technology and rocket science share similarities – both work in conditions for which fixing anything is very difficult once the technology is installed. While satellites can get the small amounts of power they need from attached solar panels, the pumps and compressors located on the seafloor require vast amounts of power and have to be plugged into a source of electricity. The technology works the same way, in principle, as similar equipment on a topside or onshore. The difference is the harsh working conditions that the equipment is exposed to. The equipment is filled with oil and pressurised on the
inside to compensate for the outside pressure from the water. Further, there is a lot of built-in redundancy to make the equipment extremely reliable. You would not do this to equipment situated in a location that is easily accessible. While the control system is based on existing products, the technology had to be significantly upgraded and modified. The system also needed a completely new enclosure design. Though there are already subsea electronic modules for well-control applications, the control system designed will offer more advanced functionality, compared to existing solutions. The system is much more powerful than any state-of-the-art system used for subsea today.
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Q&A: Svein Vatland Energy Focus talks with Svein Vatland, Vice President of Subsea Technology Programmes at ABB
38 energyfocus | www.the-eic.com
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