The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) recently convened a collaborative workshop on platform electrification to cut North Sea emissions, the organization revealed in a statement posted on its website.
In its statement, the NSTA said it gathered leading operators and technology companies for a workshop in Aberdeen to help industry unlock brownfield projects which would enable existing platforms to run on clean electricity.
Eleven operators - including BP, Harbour Energy, Repsol, Shell, and TotalEnergies - delivered presentations outlining the “significant engineering challenges they face to convert the power systems on existing platforms while at sea”, the statement highlighted, adding that they then attended breakout sessions with technology suppliers to learn more about the technologies available to support the projects.
The NSTA outlined in the statement that it told industry colleagues platform electrification “could be key to dramatically cutting emissions from oil and gas production, helping the sector reach net zero”.
“Operators and technology companies must work together to identify technological solutions to make electrification a reality - and retain the support of the public,” the NSTA noted in the statement.
Power generation made up 79 percent of UK offshore production emissions in 2022, the NSTA pointed out in the statement, adding that “the prize for achieving large-scale power emissions reductions is huge”.
“Electrifying new and existing platforms could deliver carbon savings of up to 22 million tons by 2050, nearly half of Scotland’s annual emissions,” the NSTA said in the statement.
In its statement, the NSTA highlighted that, as part of the North Sea Transition Deal - which was agreed between the government and industry back in 2021 - the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry committed to invest in electrification.
“The North Sea Transition Deal also included a target for the sector to halve production emissions by 2030,” the NSTA said in the statement.
Cross-sector efforts are ongoing to map out a clear regulatory pathway for electrification schemes, which includes work on grid connections, the NSTA added in the statement.
“The NSTA provided input into Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas Decarbonization (INTOG) offshore wind leasing round, an example of collaboration in action,” it noted.
“Exclusivity agreements for seven INTOG projects aimed at decarbonizing oil and gas platforms had been signed by the end of November 2023, meaning they can move into the development stage,” the NSTA continued.
The NSTA also noted in the statement that, in the central North Sea, CNOOC International is working on plans to electrify the Buzzard platform, and pointed out that a consortium of BP, Shell, and TotalEnergies is focusing on installations in the Central Graben Area. The NSTA also said in the statement that electrification options are being explored West of Shetland.
“While industry’s efforts are welcome, urgent action is needed, particularly for brownfield assets, to get projects under way and prevent the emission of as much greenhouse gas as possible,” the NSTA warned in the statement.
“The NSTA is stewarding the sector to deliver, and recently published the draft OGA Plan, which went out for consultation last year,” it added.
“The draft Plan set out that, for existing assets, operators would need to evaluate the technical and economic case for electrification – and investments must be made to electrify assets where it is reasonable to do so,” it continued.
The NSTA revealed in the statement that it is currently considering the responses to the consultation and said it will publish its response “in the coming months”.
“Publication of the draft Plan followed a letter to operators outlining the NSTA’s expectations for investments in low carbon power schemes,” the NSTA added in the statement.
“Platform electrification is a key step on the road to net zero,” Bill Cattanach, NSTA’s Head of Supply Chain, said in the NSTA’s statement.
“The North Sea has long been a testbed for pioneering technologies and right now we need innovative solutions to crack the significant challenge of electrification, cut emissions and accelerate the transition,” he added.
“This workshop has shone a light on some of the options available for brownfield electrification. Operators and technology suppliers should continue to engage and pursue appropriate solutions. The NSTA will continue to support these efforts and work to establish clear regulatory pathways,” he continued.
When asked for comment on the NSTA statement, industry body Offshore Energies UK’s (OEUK) Sustainability and Policy Director, Mike Tholen, told Rigzone, “achieving the industry’s ambitious emissions reduction targets will require a step change in emissions performance”.
“Electrification, alongside the scaling up of technologies like hydrogen, carbon capture and offshore wind, will be a key tool in that decarbonization journey,” he added.
“It’s great that industry regulators are working proactively and in tandem with the sector to fulfil the commitments of the North Sea Transition Deal. We hope to see continued engagement from regulators and the government to ensure this vital solution is understood and receives the right support to be made viable,” Tholen went on to state.
In a statement posted on its site earlier this month, the NSTA noted that carbon storage data will boost jobs and net zero ambitions.
“High-skilled job opportunities, the energy transition, and the drive to reach net zero took a significant step forward today [February 14] as the growing carbon storage industry began a consultation on making data publicly available,” the NSTA said in that statement.
“The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has today [14 February] opened a consultation to determine the precise details of exactly what information should be made public and on what timescales,” it added.
“Information gained from geophysical surveys, well data, and injection tests will be among the wealth of valuable information that could be obtained and used in planning and future decision-making,” it continued.
“And, once in place, the easy access to data will encourage new entrants into the industry and help to cement the United Kingdom’s position as an international leader in the sector which is vital in the drive to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions,” it went on to state.
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
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