Seatrium picks Swiss player for work on Petrobras’ Brazil-bound FPSO pair

Switzerland-based electrification and automation technology provider ABB has received a large order from Singapore’s Seatrium to supply electrical equipment and automation solutions for a new generation of floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, destined to work for Brazil’s state-owned energy giant Petrobras.

Thanks to this award, ABB will design and construct the topside and hullside electrical equipment, electrical substation automation, and eHouses for the FPSOs P-84 and P-85, which will be deployed in the Atapu and Sépia fields, approximately 200 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Seatrium won an $8.15-billion contract in 2024 for these two ‘all-electric’ FPSOs that are expected to cut the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprint by 30% per barrel of oil produced once they come online in 2029, using electrically driven compressors and motors to produce 165 MW power generation capacity.

Petrobras will utilize the ABB Ability System 800xA and IEC 61850 technologies for substation automation, said to allow seamless interoperability between intelligent electrical devices, enhancing operational efficiency and system reliability.

The Swiss firm claims that this project marks the first offshore application of its three Is-limiter configuration, which, due to the FPSOs’ high-power capacity, is considered vital to ensuring short circuits are managed effectively, as these fast-acting devices are perceived to prevent damage to electrical components and reduce mechanical and thermal stress by limiting the short-circuit current before it reaches its peak value.

The FPSO topside systems, constructed by ABB Singapore, will be installed in an ABB eHouse, a prefabricated transportable substation designed to house medium voltage and low voltage switchgear, critical power equipment, and automation cabinets. The firm’s deal for these two FPSOs comes after KBR was selected to develop topside facilities for the same FPSO pair.

Furthermore, ABB’s Sorocaba factory, which is located 85 kilometers west of São Paulo in Brazil, will manufacture the UniGear ZS1 switchboard used to distribute electric power in demanding applications. The construction of the FPSOs P-84 and P-85 has been ongoing since 2024, with delivery of the Swiss firm’s eHouses expected by 2027.

According to ABB, each floating unit will have a production capacity of 225,000 barrels of oil per day at a time when total global supply capacity is forecast to rise to nearly 114 million barrels a day by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The company points out that the Brazilian FPSO market remains a source of growth in the offshore energy arena, with a potential investment estimated to hit $21 billion in 2026-2027, set against a global FPSO market, which is projected to reach a value of $46.2 billion by 2033.

Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB’s Energy Industries division, stated: “The offshore energy industry requires innovative solutions and technologies, at scale and at pace, to support an effective and secure energy market.

“With our ability to meet advanced technical requirements and high safety standards, along with our deep commitment to energy efficiency, we look forward to working with Seatrium on this large scale and complex project.”