Valhall
O&G ElectrificationOperationalNO78 MW150 kV292 km2011
Also known as:Valhall HVDC, Valhall HVDC Light, Valhall power from shore, Lista–Valhall HVDC, Valhall kraft fra land, Valhall landstrømskabel
Status:Operational
Capacity:78 MW
Type:og electrification
Website:www.hitachienergy.com
Valhall (HVDC power‑from‑shore) is a dedicated subsea HVDC link that supplies electric power from the Norwegian mainland to the Valhall offshore platform complex in the southern Norwegian North Sea. The installation was implemented as part of the Valhall redevelopment to replace platform gas‑turbine generation with shore‑sourced hydropower, improving operational reliability...
Supply Chain (3)
Project Timeline (12)
Jan 2013Operations Other
Following installation of the Valhall PH process and hotel platform in 2011 and its start‑up in January 2013, the Valhall redevelopment and power‑from‑shore project was considered complete, making Valhall the first field on the Norwegian continental shelf to base its power supply entirely on electricity transmitted via submarine cable from land. From 2013 onward, all routine power for the Valhall complex has been provided by the Lista–Valhall HVDC Light link rather than offshore gas turbines, establishing the scheme as a pioneer full‑electrification project.
30 Jan 2012Commercial Operations Full Power
On 30 January 2012 the Valhall power-from-shore HVDC Light system was officially transferred to BP’s operations department, from which date it could supply the entire Valhall field with electricity via the 294 km subsea cable from Lista. This handover marked the start of full commercial operation of the shore-power link, allowing the field to be run solely on imported electrical power instead of offshore gas turbines.
21 Oct 2011First Power
ABB commissioned the Valhall HVDC Light power-from-shore link on 21 October 2011, energising the 292–294 km subsea cable and enabling up to 78 MW of power to be supplied from the southern Norwegian mainland grid to BP’s Valhall multi-platform complex in the North Sea. The system comprises an onshore converter station and an offshore converter on the Valhall platform, replacing local gas-turbine generation and allowing the field facilities, including a new production and living quarters platform, to be powered from shore.
2010Cable Installation Start
Following a major refit completed in March 2010, Nexans’ cable-laying vessel Skagerrak was deployed in the North Sea to lay approximately 292 km of high‑voltage direct current power cable and a separate optical fibre cable for BP’s Valhall power‑from‑shore (Valhall PFS) project, marking the start of offshore cable installation between the Norwegian mainland and the Valhall field.
May 2009Onss Commissioned
In May 2009, an onshore HVDC converter station at Lista on the southern Norwegian coast was completed and opened, converting AC power from the mainland grid to DC for transmission through the approximately 294 km subsea cable supplying the Valhall field as part of BP’s power‑from‑shore redevelopment.
Sept 2005Other Permit Awarded
Licence: Licence to lay submarine power cable and install onshore/offshore converter stations for the Valhall power-from-shore link
In September 2005, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) approved BP and Statnett’s licence application, granting permission to lay the Lista–Valhall submarine power cable and install the related converter stations, thereby authorising construction of the Valhall power‑from‑shore HVDC link.
Apr 2005Other Permit Submitted
Licence: Licence to lay submarine power cable and install onshore/offshore converter stations for the Valhall power-from-shore link
BP, in cooperation with Norwegian grid operator Statnett, submitted a licence application to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) in April 2005 to obtain permission to lay the submarine power cable from Lista to Valhall and to install the associated onshore and offshore converter stations for the Valhall power‑from‑shore HVDC link.
2005Fid Financial Close
In 2005, BP decided that the new Valhall PH platform and the Valhall field would be supplied entirely with electricity from shore via the Lista–Valhall subsea power cable, effectively taking investment decision on the HVDC Light power‑from‑shore scheme. In the Plan for Development and Operation the cost of installing power from shore was estimated at about NOK 1.8 billion for the onshore and offshore converter stations and the 294 km subsea cable, with final costs later calculated at roughly NOK 2 billion.
kr1,800M
Date TBDConverter Supplier Selected
BP Norway signed a Front End Engineering & Design (FEED) contract with ABB for the Valhall power‑from‑shore HVDC Light link, giving ABB responsibility for overall system engineering and the design of the HVDC Light converter stations, with an option to carry out construction pending regulatory approval from Norwegian authorities.
Date TBDConverter Preferred Supplier
By awarding ABB the FEED contract and an option to build the facilities, BP Norway selected ABB’s HVDC Light solution as the technical basis for the Valhall shore‑power scheme, effectively designating ABB as the preferred supplier for the Valhall HVDC converter stations subject to subsequent regulatory approval.