Alcad to Provide Standby Battery Systems for Shell’s Prelude FLNG

Alcad has been awarded a contract worth around Euro 1 million by Emerson Network Power to design, manufacture and supply eight large battery systems, featuring ultra low maintenance nickelbased technology, to provide reliable standby power for critical control and safety systems on Shell’s Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility.

Alcad is supplying the battery systems to Emerson Network Power, the main uninterruptable power system

(UPS) supplier for the Shell Prelude project working on behalf of the Technip Samsung Consortium. The battery systems, comprising thousands of Alcad cells, will be installed in four battery rooms on the floating facility to provide standby power for the main automation systems, fire and gas detection systems, telecommunications and emergency lighting. In the event of a loss of power from the main generators the Alcad batteries will provide between 60 minutes to four hours of reliable autonomous operation.

Providing total reliability over a 20‐year life

The Alcad cells are designed to ensure total reliability in the most exacting industrial applications, such as found in the offshore oil and gas industry. Thanks to Alcad’s robust pocket plate nickel‐based technology they are able to meet Emerson’s requirements for a long and predictable service‐life – over 20 years in this application – with no risk of the sudden death failure that can affect lead‐acid batteries. Furthermore, the Alcad cells feature an ultra low maintenance design, with controlled gas recombination and a valve regulated venting system, so they will never need topping up with water.

Compact design makes optimum use of the available installation footprint

An added advantage offered by the Alcad low maintenance cells is their compact design that enables the battery systems to offer high power and energy capacity within a small installation footprint. This is especially important for the Shell Prelude project as, despite its impressive proportions, the facility is one‐quarter the size of an equivalent plant on land. This has called for the designers to seek every opportunity to save space.

Alcad is scheduled to deliver the battery systems for installation on the Shell Prelude facility during 2012‐2013.

Alcad, January 21, 2014; Image: Shell