Norway Approves Sleipner Power Plan

Norway's energy ministry has approved the revised plan for development and operation (PDO) for the partial electrification of the Sleipner field centre which was submitted in the summer, operator Equinor said February 11.

The field centre will be tied to the Utsira High area solution, and is expected to cut emissions by more than 150,000 metric tons/yr of CO2. The work will cost NKr 850 ($100.4)mn. Equinor told NGW that "where turbines and other utilities fuelled by gas power are replaced with power from shore the gas will be part of volumes available for marketing /trade," but did not put figures on that.

Its statement said: "As the authorities have approved the PDO, we can keep developing the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) towards the goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2050.” 

The Sleipner field centre solution involves laying a power cable from Sleipner to the Gina Krog platform, which will be tied to the power from shore Utsira High area solution from 2022. 

The Utsira High area solution was originally planned for the four fields: Johan Sverdrup, Edvard Grieg, Ivar Aasen and Gina Krog. The Sleipner field centre and the Gudrun, Gina Krog, Utgard, Gungne and Sigyn tie-in fields will now receive power from shore through the area solution.

In June, Aibel was awarded the NKr 400mn engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning contract for Sleipner modifications. The contract for production and laying of cables was awarded to the NKT cable supplier. The Sleipner licence partners are Equinor (59.6%); Var Energi (15.4%); Polish Lotos (15,0%); and Kuwaiti Kufpec (10.0%).