Martin Linge
O&G ElectrificationOperationalNO55 MW145 kV162 km2019
Also known as:Hild, HILD
Status:Operational
Capacity:55 MW
Type:og electrification
Expected Life:30 years
Website:www.equinor.com
Martin Linge’s Power-from-Shore link is a domestic Norwegian HVAC interconnector that supplies electricity from the onshore grid at Kollsnes to the Martin Linge oil and gas production platform and associated FSO. The subsea system uses a 3-core XLPE high-voltage AC submarine cable (insulation class 145 kV) with integrated fiber-optic links...
Supply Chain (6)
Project Timeline (25)
1 Jan 2026Inspection SurveyStale
Equinor has exercised an option to extend its inspection services contract with Aker Solutions, under which Aker Solutions will continue performing in-service inspections on the Martin Linge facilities, along with more than 15 other Equinor-operated assets in Norway. The four-year extension, effective from 1 January 2026, covers a wide range of inspection activities, including conventional and advanced inspections plus associated planning and engineering, to be delivered by Aker Solutions personnel based in Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim.
10 May 2022Stake TransactionStale
On 10 May 2022, Equinor agreed to sell a 19% equity stake in the Martin Linge offshore field to Sval Energi as part of a wider transaction that also included Equinor’s non-operated interests in the Greater Ekofisk Area and Norpipe Oil AS, for a cash consideration of $1 billion plus contingent payments linked to realised oil and gas prices in 2022 and 2023. Following completion, Equinor will retain a 51% ownership share and operatorship of Martin Linge, while Sval Energi will enter the project as a new partner.
Sval Energi AS acquired from Equinor (19%)
Jun 2021Commercial Operations Full Power
The Martin Linge power‑from‑shore interconnector reached full commercial operation in June 2021 when the Martin Linge oil and gas field began production, with the offshore Martin Linge A platform already connected to the Norwegian grid via a 162 km alternating‑current subsea cable. From this point, the cable system was in regular service, continuously supplying electrical power from shore to support full field operations.
25 Mar 2021Regulatory Other
Licence: Regulatory audit of completion and preparation for operation of Martin Linge A and B
Between 25 March and 23 April 2021, the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) carried out an audit of Equinor focused on completion and preparation for operation of the Martin Linge A platform and Martin Linge B FSO. The audit, conducted ahead of granting consent to use Martin Linge, examined process safety, technical safety, safety-instrumented systems and electrical installations, and resulted in three regulatory non‑conformities and two improvement points, with Equinor required to report by 27 August 2021 how it would address them.
6 Jan 2021Regulatory Other
Licence: Regulatory findings and order to rectify safety-system breaches prior to production start at Martin Linge
On 6 January 2021, the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) announced that Equinor had breached safety regulations at the long‑delayed Martin Linge oil and gas development, following an audit of control, monitoring and safety systems. The PSA identified nine regulatory deviations, including issues with gas leak detection reliability and alarm system configuration, and ordered Equinor to correct the infractions before it would grant consent to start production at the field.
Feb 2019First Power
In February 2019, ABB completed commissioning and testing of the Martin Linge shore power system that supplies electricity from the Norwegian onshore grid via the Martin Linge production platform to the Martin Linge B/Bravo vessel. Following completion of commissioning, the vessel began using shore power delivered through this HVAC cable link and associated frequency conversion equipment, marking the first export of power from shore to the offshore Martin Linge facilities.
Dec 2018Construction Other
In December 2018, the Martin Linge offshore platform was physically hooked up to receive shore power via the world’s longest high-voltage AC subsea cable, a 162 km, 145 kV three-core HVAC link from the onshore substation at Kollsnes north of Bergen. This hook-up completed the connection of the field’s main facilities to the Norwegian onshore grid, enabling future platform operations to be powered from shore rather than by onsite generators and paving the way for substantial CO2 emission reductions once production started.
19 Mar 2018Stake Transaction
On 19 March 2018, Statoil (now Equinor) completed a transaction with Total to acquire Total’s entire equity stake and operatorship in the Martin Linge field on the Norwegian continental shelf, increasing Statoil’s interest in the project to 70%. The deal also transferred operatorship of the field and associated assets, including the power-from-shore infrastructure, along with relevant employees from Total to Statoil under the Sale and Purchase Agreement.
Equinor acquired from TotalEnergies (51%)
27 Apr 2017Regulatory Other
Licence: Notice of order to rectify HSE and technical non-conformities on Martin Linge platform prior to field installation
On 27 April 2017, Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) issued a notice of order to Total E&P Norge, then operator of the Martin Linge field, requiring the company to identify and correct serious faults and deficiencies on the Martin Linge production platform before its departure from the Samsung yard in South Korea. The audit, conducted 28–30 March 2017, had revealed major non‑conformities related to preservation of equipment and systems, electrical installations, barrier management, and compliance with HSE regulations, and the PSA set a 29 May 2017 deadline for Total to implement measures and report compliance.
31 May 2015Cable Installation Complete
Installation of the 163 km Martin Linge power-from-shore HVAC cable was completed on 31 May 2015, when the full cable length including the midline splice and crossings was laid, tested, and positioned in its dedicated pull-in configuration ahead of subsequent trenching, rock protection and final integrity testing from Kollsnes before handover to Total E&P Norge.