ABB Wins $110M Order, Platform Power Link

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order worth $110m from Eni Norway AS, to build a power link between a new oil and gas platform in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian power grid. The order was booked in the first quarter.

The Goliat platform will be partly electrified by a 106 km subsea power cable, which can lower Goliat's carbon dioxide emissions up to 50 percent by reducing the need for electricity produced by the platform's gas turbines.

The 123kV (kilovolt) 75MW (megawatt) XLPE insulated cable is claimed to be the longest, most powerful cable ever delivered for an offshore application. It will supply AC (alternating current) power from the mainland grid in Norway to Goliat, a floating oil and gas production, storage and offloading unit.

The cable integrates fiber optics to monitor temperature and provide general communication services, and includes a 1.5 km dynamic section to accommodate the movement of the floating platform. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2013, when Goliat is due to begin operations.