North Sea project worth $10.78 billion gets contractor for power from shore scope

Norwegian oil and gas player Aker BP has picked the Levanger-based Linjepartner for the delivery of overhead lines for the power from shore project at a recently sanctioned development in the North Sea offshore Norway.

According to Aker BP, the power from shore concept will secure a reliable and stable power supply to the Yggdrasil area with very low emissions. This concept covers a new transformer station in Børdalen in Samnanger, 11 kilometres of powerline and cable in Samnanger, a compensation station at Årskog in Fitjar, and a total of 255 kilometres of sea cable from Samnanger to the Yggdrasil area in the North Sea.

Dines Haslund, Onshore manager, highlighted: “Linjepartner will deliver the 132 kV overhead lines totalling 26 masts from Børdalen to Gaupeholsmarka in Samnanger. The company will also deliver the 300 kV tie-in to Statnett’s transformer station in Børdalen with two new towers.”

Furthermore, the value of the contract is more than NOK 100 million (almost $9.4 million), plus the procurement of material. This deal is expected to secure activity and jobs in the Levanger-based company for several years. Aker BP received the power licence in April to connect Yggdrasil to the national grid in Samnanger. While onshore construction work is expected to start in October, the plan is to start delivery from Linjepartner that same month with completion by August 2025.

Tormod Huseby, Project manager, remarked: “This represents the selection of the final major civil construction partner for the Yggdrasil power from shore delivery line. With this contract in place, we are in line with our execution strategy. This is a good example of the ripple effects created in Norway by the Yggdrasil project.

“Over the next two years, as many as 50 people at Linjepartner in Levanger and sub-contractors will be under this contract, and the company will also employ extra apprentices. The ripple effects have been very important to us when selecting partners for the next major development in Norway.”

Earlier this month, the Storting greenlighted the plans for the development and operation of the Yggdrasil area. This NOK 115 billion (around $10.78 billion) development project is expected to contribute 65.000 full-time equivalents in Norway in the development and operational phase while the Norwegian share of the investments is over 65 per cent.

The Yggdrasil area development, formerly NOAKA, entails Hugin, Munin, and Fulla located between the Alvheim and Oseberg fields in the North Sea. The development concept consists of an unmanned production platform to the north – Munin, formerly Krafla – a process platform with well bay area and living quarters – Hugin A, formerly NOA – to the south and a normally unmanned wellhead platform on Frøy – Hugin B – which will be tied back to Hugin A.

The entire Yggdrasil area is expected to be controlled remotely from an onshore integrated interaction centre and control room in Stavanger. The development will be powered from shore, contributing to low emissions of less than 1 kg CO2 per barrel.