The idea of electrification is based on the goal of cutting between 50-55 percent of CO₂ emissions until 2030. Norwegian oil and gas extraction currently accounts for more than a quarter (27 percent) of Norwegian gas emissions.
Ivar Aasen field in the northern part of the North Sea. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB scanpix
Power consumption on the continental shelf may creep up to 17 terawatt-hours in 2030. The government recognizes that electrification "in isolation leads to higher power prices".
The new resource report for the Norwegian Offshore Directorate shows how far electrification of the shelf has come at the end of the summer. See the map below. The platforms that are fully electrified are marked in green. Those that are partially electrified are marked in yellow. Fields where partial or full electrification has been adopted are marked in pink.
The Snorre and Gullfaks fields are partly supplied with offshore wind from Hywind Tampen. These are marked in blue. Potential extensions - such as the Balder, Grane and Halten area - are not included in the overview. Photo: Norwegian Offshore Directorate
Electrification of oil and gas production contributed to emissions in 2023 being 3.39 million tons lower than they would have been without power from shore.
According to a review in “Energy and Climate”, the total power consumption on the continental shelf may creep up to 17 terawatt-hours in 2030 – at the same time as data centres, hydrogen factories and green industrial establishments on land "cry" for power.
By comparison, electricity consumption in Bergen was 3.4 TWh in 2023.
Equinor CEO Anders Opedal commented on the strained power situation during the oil fair in Stavanger a couple of weeks ago.
The situation is such that it is difficult to get more power from land, he said.
He added that the company will be involved in the "power effort", but that it was not relevant to have more Hywind Tampen solutions.
Instead, the energy giant has proposed a new and controversial financing model for offshore wind that involves the CO₂ tax.
It is important to clarify that we are not asking for more money, but that the revenue to the state from the CO₂ tax can be better used to develop welcome power for everyone
writes the Equinor boss in a reader's post in DN.
The oil and gas industry has three main motives for electrifying the shelf.
Firstly, the industry must halve CO₂ emissions by 2030.
And every year the emissions become more expensive, in the form of more expensive CO₂ quotas and emission quotas.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre visits the Sleipner A platform. Equinor CEO Anders Opedal commented on the strained power situation and the conflict between land and sea during the oil fair in Stavanger two weeks ago. Here together with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB
At the same time, electricity prices and queues for internet access have intensified the conflict between sea and land. As the old saying goes: When the manger is empty, the horses bite.
With reference to the power situation, Centre Party minister Geir Pollestad has said that it would be "very strange" if the nation does not take a step back and reconsider electrification.
There are also forces in Socialist Left Party, Green Party and among a bunch of Conservative Party representatives who no longer want to use power from shore to the platforms.
The government is steering Norway towards a power deficit. Then we have to think again
writes Ove Trellevik (Conservative) in a column for the Altinget.
Last year, a report from Invest Sunnhordaland concluded that the electrification of Johan Sverdrup (2018) has affected South-West Norway in three ways:
It has led to a power shortage.
It has pushed up electricity prices.
It has been an obstacle for new, green (and energy-intensive) industries.
The report concludes: "In a time of large power deficits, it is very unfortunate that power from land is used for an industry that could be powered by self-produced power offshore, either with gas or offshore wind".
Troll A has been electrified since 1996. Work is now underway on the partial electrification of Troll B and the complete electrification of Troll C. Photo: Equinor
The risk of increased electricity prices was discussed in Dagsnytt Atten earlier in September.
When Green Party leader Arild Hermstad claimed that electrification led to higher prices and power shortages, Energy Minister Terje Aasland replied that "what Hermstad says is flatly wrong".
He has since clarified what he meant:
Although electrification measures and the establishment of new industry will lead to increased consumption and in isolation pull in the direction of higher power prices, it is a strong simplification to point to just one single sector as the cause of such a development.
Johan Sverdrup is the third largest field on the Norwegian continental shelf and has been operated by onshore current since 2018. Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB
The Minister of Energy said more about the irreconcilable fronts when he visited the Power Conference in Bodø last week.
I am in favor of a broad political settlement, but when you enter the parliament hall you notice that it is completely impossible, he said.
According to Europower, which reported from the panel discussion, he used the wind power framework from 2019 as an example of how difficult it is to talk together:
We tried, but it went to hell, to put it mildly.
The decision to electrify the Utsira High was "pushed forward" in 2014 by a united opposition in the Storting, which marked the victory by eating cake. Photo: Marte Christensen / NTB scanpix
Source: NRK
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