Clara Venture Labs, in collaboration with NTNU and Lundin Energy Norge, has developed a concept aiming to reduce CO2 emissions offshore by 40-80 percent depending on the system. A combination of wind power and hydrogen-based energy storage can replace gas turbines for the supply of electricity and heat.
In the HES-OFF project (Innovative hybrid energy system for stable power and heat supply in offshore oil and gas installation), Clara Venture Labs is developing a hydrogen-based energy storage system that efficiently converts surplus energy from wind generators to hydrogen in an electrolyser. When the electricity demand is higher than the supply, the system can produce electricity and heat in a fuel cell. The fuel cell system will act as an energy storage buffer, ensuring full exploitation of the renewable power source.
The hydrogen can also be blended with natural gas and used as fuel in gas turbines, reducing emissions by up to 40 percent compared to conventional gas turbine installations.
If waste heat is used more efficiently and the heat demand is covered by a different source than gas turbines, emissions can be reduced by up to 80 percent.
Electrification of offshore oil-and-gas platforms by deploying offshore wind generators and electrolysers may be an important step towards upscaling and market acceptance of hydrogen technologies that will contribute to the transition towards zero-emission economy.
"This project has given us valuable insights into the challenges of integrating renewable wind power with the local AC grid on the platform and building a hybrid energy system", Dmitry Bokach, HES-OFF Project Manager
Dmitry has been working with fuel cells and electrolysis in Clara Venture Labs for over fifteen years and has among others contributed to the development of a fuel cell system that can operate on the surface of the moon.
“The purpose of the “HES-OFF” project has been to bundle expertise within fuel cells, electrolysis, offshore operations, modelling and experimental testing of hybrid systems, in order to develop a new concept for stable supply of electricity and heat to offshore installations, and a tool that can specify and plan the hybrid system setup”, concludes Dmitry.
The “HES-OFF” project is part of The Research Council of Norway’s DEMO 2000 program that supports the development of sustainable oil & gas technologies.
The Pilot and demonstration programme – DEMO 2000 will promote long-term competitiveness and profitability in the oil and gas industry, ensuring sustainable extraction of resources on the Norwegian continental shelf.
DEMO 2000 aims to demonstrate and qualify new technology and new systems in close collaboration between suppliers, oil companies and research institutes.
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