PSW developing shore power system for Northern Lights

PSW Power & Automation has won a contract with Aker Solutions to design and deliver the shore power system at the Northern Lights carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in the North Sea.

As part of the project, the system will provide power to ships loading CO2 at the Northern Lights’ CO2 receiving terminal at Kollsnes.

Under the contract, PSW will deliver a static frequency converter system with an integrated 22kV substation, complete cable management system and an overall control system with remote access and monitoring.

CO2 will be captured and transported by the ships to intermediate storage at Kollsnes, before being transported by pipeline for permanent storage 2,600 metres below the seabed. 

According to PSW, the power system will ensure zero-emission from the vessel when staying at the terminal.

Recently, Northern Lights joint venture (JV) placed an order for two LNG-powered, wind-assisted CO2 carriers at China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC). In July, the UK-based Express Engineering secured a contract to provide subsea actuators for the project

To remind, in March this year, the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy approved the development plan for Northern Lights built by Northern Lights JV DA company and backed by Equinor, Shell, and Total.

Northern Lights is the transport and storage component of Norway’s Longship project, which includes capture of CO2 from industrial point sources in the Oslo region. 

It ships the CO2 to an onshore terminal on the Norwegian west coast and, from there, transports the liquefied CO2 by pipeline to a subsea storage location in the North Sea. 

When Northern Lights starts operation in 2024, it will be the first-ever cross-border, open-source CO2 transport and storage infrastructure network.