Norway Approves Plan for Power-from-Shore Solution at Sleipner Field

Norwegian authorities have approved Equinor's revised plan for development and operation (PDO) for partial electrification of the Sleipner field center in the North Sea.

The field center will be tied to the Utsira High area power from shore solution, and Sleipner is expected to cut emissions by more than 150,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, Equinor said.

The Utsira High area solution originally comprised the Johan Sverdrup, Edvard Grieg, Ivar Aasen, and Gina Krog. Sleipner field center with the tie-in fields - Gudrun, Gina Krog, Utgard, Gungne, Sigyn – will receive power from the area solution.

"Partial electrification of the Sleipner field center will contribute to major cuts in emissions from our activities and provide significant assignments for the supplier industry in a demanding time. 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,” says Arne Sigve Nylund, executive vice president for Technology, Projects and Drilling in Equinor.

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In June, Equinor and its partners Vår Energi, LOTOS, and KUFPEC submitted a revised plan for development and operation (PDO) to the authorities. The investments are in the size of NOK 850 million (USD 100 million). Sleipner is scheduled to be tied into the Utsira High area solution by the end of 2022.

"Sleipner is an important field on the NCS contributing enormous value to Norwegian society. The partners have focused on being in the forefront of technology development and innovation to carry out for example carbon capture, injection and storage at the field. The decision to partly electrify the field helps the partners in their effort of further developing the field,” says Kjetil Hove, executive vice president for Development and Production Norway in Equinor.Credit: Equinor

The Sleipner field center 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.

The Utsira High area solution was originally planned for the four fields: Johan Sverdrup, Edvard Grieg, Ivar Aasen, and Gina Krog. The Sleipner field center 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 EPCIC contract (engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning) for Sleipner modifications. The contract for production and laying of cables was awarded to the NKT cable supplier.

Worth around NOK 400 million (USD 47 million), the EPCIC contract will require approximately 170 man-years distributed on two years at Aibel’s offices in Stavanger and at their yard in Haugesund. Purchase of equipment from sub-suppliers is expected to be in the size of NOK 150 million (USD 17,6 million), Equinor said.