NKT finalizes the high-voltage power cable projects for the electrification of the Utsira High offshore fields in Norway

For more than 10 years, NKT has been a key power cable supplier for the electrification project of the Utsira High offshore energy area on the Norwegian continental shelf. In close collaboration with Equinor and Aker BP, NKT has now finalized the power cable projects connecting six offshore oil and gas platforms located at Utsira High to shore.

- It has been a pleasure to continue our long-term collaboration with Equinor and Aker BP by supporting the electrification of Utsira High. The project campaign stretching for more than a decade clearly shows our position as the leading power cable provider for offshore energy fields and it is satisfying that our power cables now provide a key contribution to the green transition in Norway, says Claes Westerlind, Executive Vice President and Head of the high-voltage engineering and manufacturing center in Karlskrona, Sweden.

NKT has contributed with turnkey DC (direct current) cable systems for Johan Sverdrup 1 and 2 and from there continuing the cable connections with AC (alternate current) cables to the platforms Edvard Grieg, Gina Krog, Gudrun, Ivar Aasen and Sleipner. All cables were produced in the factory in Karlskrona, Sweden, while most of the installation was done by the fuel-efficient cable laying vessel NKT Victoria.

Collaboration has been a key contributor to the success of the electrification campaign in the North Sea.

- We have had great teamwork with both customers and subcontractors which has been essential for us to bring the projects safely to the finish line without incidents or acci­dents. Collaboration has also been important to be delivering the cable projects on time and within budget, even during the challenging years with the pandemic, says Claes Westerlind.

The electrification of the operations in Utsira High has been a strategic focus for Equinor and Aker BP for several years paving the way for significant reduction of the carbon emissions from the Norwegian continental shelf. The annual reduction of 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 is equivalent to 2.5% of Norway’s total emissions in 2022 and plays a key role for reaching climate ambitions including the goal for net zero emissions by 2050.