OGTC Platform Power Hubs
Challenge
- OGTC Decommissioning Life Support Systems
- Call for ideas on Life Support Systems – ‘Power’
Current Issue
- Platforms powered by diesel generators or gas turbines using produced gas
- Powering diesel engines or gas turbines to run their machinery is inefficient from financial (Ops & Maintenance) and environmental reasons
- During Late Life, Cessation of Production and Decommissioning activities (i.e.: well plug and abandonment etc.) significant power generation required
- Increasing Operations, Inspection & Maintenance costs at a time where revenue stream from the facility may be dwindling
Opportunity
Reduce cost
- Efficiency
- Operation & Maintenance
- Import Cheaper Power
- Reduce Power outages
Reduce Environmental Impact
- Efficient Power Supply from Power Hub
- Cleaner Power from National Grid
- Avoid temporary Power Packages
- Use existing technology, techniques and infrastructure
Solution – ‘Power Hubs’
- Establish ‘Platform Power Hubs’
- Power Hub will be able to generate sufficient power to support a number of in-field satellite assets
- Power Hubs can be daisy-chained back to onshore power grid – using existing Windfarm substation supply connection
- Reliable Power Source
- Cleaner Power
- Potential Revenue Stream for Offshore Wind infrastructure

The annual cost for power generation of typical 30MW/h O&G facility, using imported fuel gas, is £35m to £40m / annum.
Satellite Platforms (NUI) have typical moved to diesel generators for power supply, with annual cost of £500k / annum for diesel however trips are frequent, resulting in loss of production revenue of circa £1m / annum based on typical 7,500 bb/d production facility.
O&G Host Facility
- Reduces the OPEX cost for power generation for aging O&G platforms, especially as availability of fuel gas becomes restricted
- Allows O&G platforms to cut CO2 emission and meet offshore targets
- Reduces ABEX cost of O&G platforms as opportunity to decommission power generating plant / fuelling system pre-CoP
- Affords opportunity for O&G Host Facility to export power to satellite platforms – potentially opening revenue stream in late life
- Potential to incorporate data & comms link in power cable to allow opportunity for remote monitoring, inspection and control from onshore
- Provides surety of power supply, reducing trips on ageing generators, reducing impact on production losses
Windfarm Developers
- Minimal CAPEX upgrade to existing Assets / use incumbent O&M contractor to facilitate
- Future proof new facilities currently under design
- Potential future revenue stream for late life management of Asset
- Will allow business stream opportunity for divestment of aging wind farms to potential Tier 2 / Tier 3 operators
- Extend wind farm life – delaying ABEX spend / opportunity re-energise
Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO)
- Potential future revenue stream for export cable
- Extend field life of export cable
- Will allow opportunity of divestment of export cable infrastructure to new OFTO operators