ABB subsea system opens new offshore opportunities

In development since 2013, the new unit will allow offshore operators to access up to 100MW of power, over distances of 600km and at depths of 3,000m. This is all facilitated via a single cable from the shore, with the entire system requiring little or no maintenance for up to 30 years. Based on a specific field development case, the new technology could offer CAPEX savings of over $500m, if eight consumers, such as pumps or compressors, are linked through a single cable over a distance of 200km from other infrastructure.

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Energy companies Equinor, Total and Chevron have been working on the system with ABB under what’s been called the Joint Industry Project (JIP), and the subsea power unit has just completed a 3,000-hour shallow water test at a sheltered harbour in Vaasa, Finland. According to ABB, the technology puts the majority of the world’s offshore fossil fuel reserves in reach of electrification.