NERA funds renewable power supply to Eni’s platform off Australia

The National Energy Resources Australia (NERA) has approved funding to Carnegie Clean Energy for securing a renewable energy power supply to Eni’s platform off Australia.

Carnegie Clean Energy, solar energy, battery storage and wave energy project developer, said on Monday it would integrate a solar photovoltaic (PV) system at Eni’s Blacktip wellhead platform in the Southern Bonaparte Basin.

The platform currently makes use of an uninterruptable power supply consisting of turbogenerators feeding a battery bank. The project aims to integrate solar energy technology to reduce the total hours of turbogenerator operation and reduce costs associated with cold starts, leading to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and improving system availability.

The company added that, if successful, the innovative approach could provide a model for securing power availability in high-risk offshore environments. The total value of the project is $471,000.

NERA CEO Miranda Taylor said: “Carnegie Clean Energy’s solution for Eni Australia’s Blacktip wellhead platform is an example of NERA’s drive to support innovation and new technology across Australia’s energy resources sector.

“The Federal Government, through NERA, has provided $200,000 of industry matched-funding to deliver clean and reliable power across the platform. Until now, the use of traditional power generation has dominated offshore oil and gas facilities, but this project demonstrates the possibilities and opportunities that can come from integrating renewable energy into offshore assets.”

Carnegie’s managing director, Michael Ottaviano, said: “We are seeing the range of applications for clean technologies extend further as their cost competitiveness and reliability continue to advance and are better understood by customers.

“Solar and battery systems are increasingly being considered for new applications, particularly in remote locations that are expensive and difficult to access. Eni has shown leadership in this space.”

Eni has a 100% interest in production license WA-33-L in the Bonaparte offshore basin off the North-Western coast of Australia where the Blacktip gas field is located. The Blacktip gas field is located in a water depth of approximately 50 meters.

The unmanned production platform is connected to the onshore Yelcherr Gas Plant, which has a capacity of 44 petajoules per annum, via a 110-kilometer offshore pipeline.