Electrification tops Norway’s list of ‘most efficient’ oil & gas decarbonization tools

Norwegian state-owned energy giant Equinor has portrayed electrification as the key measure to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from oil and gas production, paving the way to move forward with the energy transition journey to a low-carbon and zero-emission era.

Equinor views electrification as “the most efficient measure” to slash emissions from its production of oil and gas, as it means replacing fossil-based energy sources with electricity, typically energy-intensive industrial processes powered by gas, oil, or coal.

By reducing CO2 emitted from fossil fuels, electrification is anticipated to enable the firm to produce hydrocarbons with the lowest possible emissions, replacing the use of gas turbines with power from shore for some of its fields and installations with longer operational life spans.

“Electrification significantly reduces emissions and also enhances our competitiveness by saving CO2 costs and extending the lifespan of producing fields. This enables us to sustain high energy deliveries with lower emissions from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), which is crucial for Europe’s energy security,” underlined the Norwegian player.

As a result, Equinor has set its cap on achieving a 50% reduction in its emissions from the NCS by 2030, then up the ante to 70% by 2040, and work on reaching near zero emissions from its oil and gas production by 2050.

The company underscored: “Electrification of long-lifespan installations is the most effective and cost-efficient measure for achieving the parliamentary resolution of halving CO₂ emissions from the NCS by 2030. We have already implemented two-thirds of the electrification measures necessary to achieve this goal.

“This will require additional electricity, but the oil and gas sector will require only eight percent of Statnett’s reserved and requested power capacity in Norway. These electrification projects will create significant economic ripple effects in Norway and develop important expertise for the energy transition within the supplier industry.”

The firm’s electrification milestones include Troll A as the first platform on the NCS to be electrified in 1996; the Gjøa field in 2010; the Johan Sverdrup field, which is electrified by power from the mainland, contributing to CO₂ emissions of 0.67 kilos per barrel compared to an average of around 9 kilos on the NCS and 15 kilos globally; Martin Linge was prepared for electrification in 2018 with production starting in 2021; and Gullfaks and Snorre, which were supplied with wind power in 2023 from the Hywind Tampen floating offshore wind farm.

In addition, all platforms on Utsira High were plugged into power from shore, including Gina Krog in 2023, the Sleipner field centre and Gudrun in 2024, followed by the Troll B and Troll C platforms which were partially electrified last year. The aim is to ensure that Troll C, the first fully operational Equinor-operated platform to be converted to run exclusively on power from shore, will be fully electrified in 2027.

Furthermore, the planned completion of the Oseberg Gas Phase 2 and Power from Shore (OGP) project, encapsulating partial electrification of the Oseberg field centre and Oseberg South, and the installation of a new compressor module at the field center, has been postponed from 2026 to the end of 2027 due to increased lead times for new transformers that were destroyed in a fire at Hitachi’s factory in Finland in 2023 and delays related to increased complexity. This project is set to slash CO₂ emissions by 300,000 tons per year.

The Snøhvit Future project for the operation of Snøhvit and Hammerfest LNG involves land compression from 2028 and electrification of the plant from 2030 to save annual CO₂ emissions of 850,000 tons. Additionally, the work to electrify the OKEA-operated Draugen and Equinor-operated Njord platforms will enable emission cuts of 180,000 and 120,000 tons of CO₂ per year, respectively.

Moreover, Equinor intends to electrify three new areas on the NCS – the Halten, Tampen, and Grane/Balder areas – to unlock annual emission cuts of about 1.1 million tons of CO₂ from the platforms. The partial electrification of installations on the Halten Bank entails grid connection, power cable from the mainland, and modifications to the Equinor-operated platforms Heidrun, Åsgard B, and Kristin to curtail emissions by about 400,000 tons of CO₂ per year.

The company’s goal in the Tampen area is to supply its operated Snorre A and B, and Gullfaks C platforms with power from shore to curb emissions by about 490,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. Equinor’s electrification plans in the Grane/Balder area can downsize CO₂ emissions by about 320,000 tons per year. The projects are envisioned to reach the operational stage by 2030.

“The electrified platforms will serve as low-carbon hubs for new discoveries in their areas, allowing us to maintain high energy deliveries with lower emissions from the NCS. The new projects can contribute the last third of the emission reduction. Along with efficiency measures and consolidation, this would ensure the goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 is met,” emphasized the Norwegian giant.