Vår Energi’s North Sea FPSO sporting digital connectivity solution in ‘global first’

August 11, 2025, by Dragana Nikše

Tampnet, a Norway-headquartered provider of offshore high-capacity and low-latency connectivity services, is deploying its technology on a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit operated by Norway’s Vår Energi in the North Sea.

As disclosed by Tampnet, FPSO Jotun working at the Balder field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) is now the first FPSO globally equipped with a full private multi-access edge compute (PMEC)-enabled private network, supported by high-speed fiber-backhaul to the Ringhorne platform.

The Norwegian player’s solution has enabled Jotun to have dedicated cellular coverage, local compute power (PMEC), and secure private network capabilities to support real-time communication, predictive maintenance, edge AI, and remote assistance.

“This is a true industry-first, a digitally enabled FPSO with edge compute onboard. Vår Energi is raising the bar, and we’re proud to help them lead this transformation. This deployment showcases how combining connectivity and edge technology creates smarter, safer and more autonomous offshore operations,” said Per Atle Sørensen, Vice President and Head of Market Unit North Sea at Tampnet.

Since steel structures block traditional Wi-Fi signals offshore, latency can affect communication and data access. As explained by Tampnet, private networks with edge computing solve this by enabling real-time data transfer from sensors and devices platform-wide.

The solution deployment forms part of Vår Energi’s Digital Field Worker program aimed at improving safety, efficiency, and data quality on offshore installations. The program is already fully implemented (using Wi-Fi) on Goliat, with Gjøa to follow. Additionally, Vår’s Southern North Sea assets, including Balder and Ringhorne, are now 4G/5G enabled.

FPSO Jotun was brought online in late June, not long after a final investment decision (FID) for the Balder Phase VI project was disclosed. The FPSO’s deployment is expected to increase the field’s production by approximately 80,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (kboepd) gross within three to four months after start-up.