Emergency power for new 'Martin Linge' North Sea platform

'Martin Linge', the new offshore oil and gas platform is due to go into service at the end of 2016 and will be installed in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea between Bergen and the Shetland Isles. A total of seven Series 4000 engines from MTU are to go into service on the platform.

Two gensets based on 20V Series 4000 P63 engines, each delivering 2,600 kW will provide power for essential consumers, while a 20V Series 4000 P63 emergency genset is to produce 2245 kW. Another four 16V Series 4000 P83 engines delivering 2240 kW are to drive fire-extinguishing pumps supplied by a Norwegian pump manufacturer.

"We delivered the three 20V Series 4000 P63 units plus auxiliary systems to 2H Energy – the energy systems company that is building the gensets," said Sylvain Cloarec, technical support manager at MTU France. "These engines have the best power-to-weight ratio in their class, are outstandingly reliable and very low in fuel consumption". A large number of MTU engines are already used for similar applications in the offshore oil and gas market.

The Martin Linge project is to set a precedent in sustainable power supply to oilfields. In this case, power will be supplied by a 170 km high-voltage subsea cable, the longest ever to be laid from the Norwegian mainland.  The aim, to be achieved in the space of 18 years, is a 2 million t reduction in CO₂ emissions by comparison with power generation using conventional gas turbines. The gas extracted from the field is exported to Great Britain via a pipeline. Oilfield operators are Total (51%), Petoro (31%) and Statoil (19%).

Adapted from a press release by David Bizley

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/06082014/emergency-power-for-new-martin-linge-north-sea-platform/