In recent months, decommissioning of offshore equipment & platforms has come under the media spotlight, featuring as one of the discussion points in the decision on Scottish independence in 2014.
Interpower, working closely with a large global supplier of products & services to the oil industry, have recently supplied 5 offshore containerized generators for use in the decommissioning of one of the older North Sea Oil platforms, the Murchison.
Based on Interpower's experience in the design, and manufacture of power equipment for offshore & marine applications, we were approached to offer a solution which would allow our customer to proceed with the engineering down and preparation of the platform for removal.
The 5 x 1MW container generators will be going into service in Q1 of 2015, from which time they will be running 24 hours a day 7 days a week for over 3 years, providing all the power requirement for the rig, replacing the original gas turbines which have become too inefficient to run.
As you would expect with high specification projects such as this, there were a number of special features Interpower had to include specific for the application.
Incorporated into the custom designed & built offshore containers were modifications to minimize point loading on the cellar deck of the platform where these units are installed. These modifications distributed the overall weight of the containers to within acceptable limits, while still complying with the DNV lifting standards required for offshore movement.
With these units being used to replace the ageing original turbines on the rig, which provided heat as well as power, there was also a requirement to recover the waste heat from the engine jacket water circuit & exhaust system. This heat is used for accommodation and operator modules, further improving the efficiency of the installation.
With safety being one of the highest priorities offshore, the fire and gas detection & suppressions systems, which are contained within the cube of the DNV container, are zone I rated. Installed to compex wiring standards, and incorporating explosion proof rated isolation switches and enclosures for control & monitoring panels, the system is integrated and monitored through the main platform control system.
More information on Interpower's offshore generator capabilities is available on our offshore equipment page here***