Aker Solutions has secured an engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) contract from Equinor ASA to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant facilities and lower the environmental impact of the Mongstad refinery on the west coast of Norway.
The Mongstad refinery, located 43.5 miles (70 kilometers) north of Bergen, is closely integrated with an oil terminal connected to multiple oilfields in the North Sea. It also interfaces with crude tankers that are docked at the port.
The refinery has wastewater treatment plant facilities that are designed to treat water from the refinery, offsite sources and the oil terminal, Aker said in a news release Monday.
Aker said the contract was “substantial,” which it defines as having a value between $220 million and $360 million (NOK 2.5 billion and NOK 4.0 billion). The company will be in charge of project management, engineering, procurement, construction and installation work, and commissioning.
The project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026, Aker noted.
Aker’s engineering office in Bergen will be the main location for project management, engineering, and procurement work. Its Mumbai office will be involved in engineering. Prefabrication and assembly work will be done from the Egersund yard, while the Stord yard will be responsible for providing construction personnel to the Mongstad site, the company outlined.
“Equinor’s goal is to reduce emissions significantly from the Mongstad refinery. This matches our aim to enable our customers to increase efficiency and minimize emissions in their operations, and ensure safe and responsible production,” Paal Eikeseth, executive vice president and head of Aker Solutions' Life Cycle segment, said.
Aker in February announced a contract award from Equinor to conduct a feasibility study for its Mongstad Industrial Transformation project.
The study aims to identify solutions to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the existing refinery and transform the site into a new low-carbon industry cluster whilst demonstrating safe, technical, and economically feasible solutions, according to an earlier news release from Aker.
The scope includes a new greenfield facility which will be developed to produce blue hydrogen from natural and refinery fuel gas, along with a carbon capture and export solution. It also covers a new facility to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from municipal solid waste with more than 70 percent reduced emissions.
“We are excited to support Equinor on this truly transformational study, maximizing industrial synergies to produce low-carbon solutions and sustainable fuels at a time when decarbonization is very high on the agenda,” Roddy Macpherson, senior vice president for consultancy at Aker Solutions, said in a statement.
“For decades, we have worked with customers and partners to minimize commercial uncertainty and enable informed decision-making for first-of-a-kind projects across the globe. Building on our strong engineering and construction expertise, and our understanding of the evolving energy system and landscape, we aim to drive change at pace for our customers. The Mongstad study will help to further accelerate Norway’s energy transition, transforming the country’s only remaining oil and gas refinery to create energy sources of the future,” Macpherson said.
To contact the author, email rocky.teodoro@rigzone.com
What do you think? We’d love to hear from you, join the conversation on the Rigzone Energy Network.
The Rigzone Energy Network is a new social experience created for you and all energy professionals to Speak Up about our industry, share knowledge, connect with peers and industry insiders and engage in a professional community that will empower your career in energy.