Statoil has, on behalf of the Johan Sverdrup partnership, awarded a contract to ABB for land-based power supply to phase 1 of the Johan Sverdrup field.

The contract value is around NOK 1.1 billion ($155 million), and covers delivery of electrical equipment for a converter station by the Kårstø processing complex at Haugsneset in the municipality of Tysvær, and a power module on the riser platform at the Johan Sverdrup field centre.

The total cost of the power supply to phase 1 has been estimated at around NOK 6 billion (2015 value), Statoil said.

ABB will provide high-voltage direct current (HVDC) equipment that will transform the onshore grid’s alternating current (AC) to HVDC at the Haugsneset converter station before the current is transmitted in a 200-kilometre long direct current submarine cable to the Johan Sverdrup field centre. On the riser platform the power will be transformed and converted to AC for field centre operations.

The equipment will be delivered during the first half of 2017.

The Johan Sverdrup oil field will be operated by land-based power supply. During the first phase of the field development a system will be established for supplying power from shore to production start late in 2019.

The first phase of the field development will also include all preparations needed to meet the power requirement of a full development of the Johan Sverdrup field as well as other fields on the Utsira High by 2022.

The contract award is subject to the Norwegian Parliament’s approval of the plan for development and operation of the Johan Sverdrup field in 2015.

The Johan Sverdrup partnership consists of Statoil, Lundin Norway, Petoro, Det norske oljeselskap and Maersk Oil. The partnership has recommended Statoil as operator for all the field’s phases.