Equinor takes steps to bring electrification of Hammerfest LNG to life 

Norwegian state-owned energy giant Equinor has signed a call-off option for the engineering of the grid connection to Hammerfest LNG (HLNG), part of the Snøhvit Future project, which aims to bolster Norway’s position as a reliable long-term supplier of gas with a low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprint. 

The call-off option, which was inked with Multiconsult’s subsidiary Multiconsult Norge, includes management assistance and follow-on engineering for the construction and commissioning phase of the project. The contract value to Multiconsult is estimated at NOK 190 million ($18 million). The project will start immediately and is scheduled to be completed in 2028. 

After Multiconsult was awarded the detailed engineering contract for the grid connection, the work scope entailed detailed multidisciplinary engineering of the grid connection from the substation on Hyggevatn via a tunnel to Meland and subsea cables to Melkøya, where HLNG is located.  

The Snøhvit Future project, which includes land compression and electrification of HLNG facilities, will solidify Norway’s role as a low-emission gas supplier. The $142.8 million contract for the work and the installation has been awarded to Leonhard Nilsen & Sønner (LNS). As part of it, the current gas turbine generators will be replaced by power from shore, reducing CO₂ emissions by an impressive 850,000 tons annually, or 2% of Norway’s annual emissions. 

In February 2023, Aibel secured an engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) contract with Equinor for Hammerfest LNG modifications in connection with the Snøhvit Future project, estimated to create around 1,700 person-years (FTEs) of overall employment in Northern Norway during the construction phase.