Nexans and BP are making history with the Power from Shore project that will make Valhall, in the Norwegian North Sea, the world’s first offshore oil field to receive all its electricity from land, with no need for on-platform generation.

In a contract worth around 98million, Nexans will manufacture, deliver and install 292km of HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current)-IRC maritime cable and a separate fibre-optic submarine cable as well as all the associated equipment both at the land station and on the platform. The subsea power link forms part of a re-development of the Valhall field, including a new production and hotel platform.

The subsea cable will be a 150kVdc cable with an integral return conductor, similar to the cable Nexans delivered for the Moyle Interconnector project in 2001, which links Northern Ireland and Scotland. The fibre-optic cable will be bundled to the power cable during installation. Nexans is carrying out this project on a turnkey basis and will install and also bury the cable. The installation work will take place in 2008 and 2009 using the cable laying ship the C/S Skagerrak. For protection against external damage, the cable will be buried to a depth of around one metre into the seabed using Nexans’ CapJet system.

The power cable will be manufactured at Nexans’ factory in Halden, Norway while the fibre-optic cable will be manufactured at Nexans’ factory in Rognan, Norway.

By using power from land-based generation instead of a gas turbine, BP will save around 35million in investment costs and a further about E5.5million in annual operating costs. The new concept also minimises the danger of fires and explosions, the working environment is improved by reducing the noise and vibration levels. The emissions to air will be reduced with 300000 tonnes of CO2 and 250tonnes of NOx per year compared with a combined gas turbine power plant with low NOx turbines, waste heat units and steamturbines.

For more information, visit www.nexans.com