In December 2024, OKEA completed installation of the power cable from shore to the Draugen platform as part of the Draugen electrification (Power from Shore) project, delivering this key milestone in accordance with the project plan.
Installation of the approximately 150-kilometre high-voltage AC power cable from shore to the Draugen platform in the Norwegian Sea commenced during the summer of 2024 as part of the Draugen Power from Shore electrification project operated by OKEA. The cable, manufactured by NKT at its Karlskrona facility under the turnkey contract awarded in December 2022, was laid from the Åfjord municipality coastline in Trøndelag to the Draugen platform located approximately 145 km offshore on the southern Haltenbanken. Prior to laying the cable, the project team executed extensive geophysical and visual seabed surveys to plan the cable trajectory and mitigate potential habitat loss, with a remote operated vessel (ROV) following the installation to verify no conflicts with habitats were recorded. The cable system operates at 123/145 kV HVAC and includes all accessories required for the shore-to-platform power connection. OKEA's 2024 integrated report confirms that the installation of the power cable from shore to Draugen was completed in December 2024 in accordance with the project plan, representing a major milestone in the power-from-shore electrification programme. The cable installation was one of the key 2024 deliverables for the project, alongside ongoing preparatory work for equipment installation on the Draugen platform itself, which was planned to commence in mid-2025. The installation start date of mid-2024 is estimated from the completion date and the scale of the installation campaign for a 150 km offshore cable route in Norwegian Sea conditions.
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The Draugen Electrification project is a power-from-shore initiative developed by OKEA ASA to supply the Draugen offshore production facility in the Norwegian Sea with electricity via a high-voltage AC cable from the Norwegian mainland, replacing existing gas turbine generation on the platform an...
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Power from Shore, Power-from-Shore project
In 2023, Norwegian authorities approved the regulatory plans for the project to electrify the OKEA‑operated Draugen and Equinor‑operated Njord platforms from shore, granting consent for the shore-power infrastructure and associated modifications that will enable significant annual CO2 emissions reductions from both fields.
On 7 February 2023, Aker Solutions formally signed the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract with OKEA for the Draugen electrification project on the Norwegian continental shelf. The contract followed a Letter of Intent issued in December 2022 alongside the investment decision by OKEA and Equinor to electrify the Draugen and Njord platforms from shore. Aker Solutions had previously completed front-end engineering and design (FEED) work that defined the scope of modifications required for the existing Draugen concrete gravity-base platform to receive power from the Norwegian mainland grid. The EPCI scope encompasses detailed engineering, procurement of electrical and mechanical equipment, construction of platform modifications at Aker Solutions' onshore facilities, offshore installation of new electrical infrastructure on the Draugen platform, and hook-up and commissioning to enable the platform to import high-voltage AC power via the NKT-supplied 123/145 kV cable system from the Tensio Straum transformer station in Åfjord municipality. The Draugen electrification is part of a combined NOK 7.3 billion investment shared between the Draugen and Njord license partners to eliminate gas turbine power generation on both platforms and reduce combined CO2 emissions by approximately 330,000 tonnes per year. Aker Solutions' appointment as main EPCI contractor was a critical enabling step for the construction phase of the power-from-shore project.
On 15 December 2022, OKEA and Equinor, together with their license partners, took the investment decision to electrify the Draugen field and the Njord A platform via power from shore, including the shore-to-Draugen connection that underpins the Draugen (Electrification) interconnector. The partners submitted revised plans for development and operation to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, committing to an estimated total investment of about NOK 7.3 billion, shared between the Draugen and Njord licenses, to cut combined CO2 emissions by roughly 330,000 tonnes per year.
By mid-December 2022, Aker Solutions had completed front-end engineering and design (FEED) work for OKEA’s Draugen electrification project offshore Norway. The FEED phase defined the modifications needed for the existing Draugen platform to receive power from shore via an electrical power cable, and its completion enabled OKEA to issue a Letter of Intent to Aker Solutions for a subsequent EPCI contract for the electrification scope.
On 15 December 2022, NKT was awarded turnkey orders for two high-voltage AC power cable systems for the Draugen and Njord electrification projects by OKEA ASA and Equinor Energy AS. For Draugen (Electrification), NKT will design, manufacture and install a 123/145 kV offshore power cable system to supply power from shore, under contracts with a combined value of about EUR 160 million for both fields, with cable production starting in 2023 and commissioning planned for 2025.
On 15 December 2022, OKEA and Equinor, together with the Draugen and Njord licence partners, submitted revised Plans for Development and Operation (PDO) and associated plans for construction/installation and operation for the Draugen and Njord electrification project to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, initiating the formal approval process required for the shore-power cable and related modifications.
An environmental impact assessment report ("Konsekvensutredning etter petroleumsloven") for supplying power from shore to the Draugen and Njord platforms was issued on 20 June 2022, documenting the planned electrification solution and its consequences for the fields on the southern Haltenbanken.
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