Transocean Spitsbergen goes Hybrid
Summary - In April 2019, the Transocean Spitsbergen successfully and sagely installed an electric Energy Storage System (ESS) of 5.6 [MW] on-board. This allowed the semi-submersible drillship to run in hybrid mode during DP3, reducing fuel consumption by about 15%. Economic incentives were provided in the fuel-clause and by the Norwegian NOx Fund.
A world’s first
During spring 2019, Canadian-based engineering and power systems solutions firm Aspin Kemp and Associates Inc. (AKA) successfully installed and tested and Energy Storage Systems (ESS) on-board the ‘Transocean Spitsbergen’, a drilling vessel operating of the coast of Norway. With the addition of 5.6 [MW] of extra power, the thrusters of the vessel can be powered by batteries, reducing the need to run additional backup generators while on DP (Dynamic Positioning). As far as is know by the author, this marks the first time in world history that thrusters on-board a drilling vessel have been run directly from batteries.
The project not only demonstrates safe installation of lithium-Ion batteries on an offshore drilling rig, it also enables safer operation and increased reliability for station keeping. The batteries serve as an instant backup generator, adding to another layer of redundancy in the ‘Swiss cheese-model’ of possible failures. Besides the clear operational benefit, the batteries ensure less fuel is used to power the vessel, thereby reducing emissions and environmental impact.
Technical details
The battery was provided by Aspin Kemp & Associates (AKA). Their full scope of supply for the Spitsbergen Hybrid System included the conversion to DP3 closed-bus operation and the addition of 5.6 MW of Hybrid Power. The thrusters can operate completely independently of the main generators and distribution system allowing the main generators to be fully optimized to the load and simultaneously reducing DP station keeping risk. The retrofit took place in Norway while the drilling rig was in full operation. Commissioning of all eight thrusters was done one-by-one.
Jason Aspin, CEO of Aspin Kemp & Associates, said: “This project is a step-change in the way industry views currently operating drilling rigs. It demonstrates that these rigs can be converted to safer, more reliable and environmentally-responsible operations without incurring downtime. The AKA Energy Storage System at the thrusters is a new way of making the vessels substantially safer by keeping them in position even during a potential failure of the power plant. This prevents them from drifting off the drilling location which endangers the people who work on these rigs and our environment. The project is a continuation of our partnership with Transocean who have proven time and time again that they will be at the forefront of technological development through investing and collaborating on these innovative technologies.”
Environmental and economic benefits
Transocean’s patented hybrid power technology, developed in partnership with Aspin Kemp and Associates, is said to reduce fuel consumption and increase a dynamically positioned rig’s station-keeping reliability by capturing energy generated during normal rig operations that would otherwise be wasted, and storing it in batteries. This energy is then used to power the rig’s thrusters. This operational and safety enhancement targets a 14% reduction in fuel use during normal operations, leading to a reduction in NOx and CO2 emissions.
The company’s investment is funded in part through fuel saving incentives in its contract with Equinor and by the Norwegian NOx Fund.
References & Further Reading
Transocean Ltd. Announces World’s First Hybrid Floating Drilling Unit