Equinor Energy AS has let an engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) contract to Aibel for Hammerfest LNG modifications in connection with the Snøhvit Future project.
The contract, an option in the FEED contract awarded to Aibel in September 2020, is for two new processing modules related to the onshore compression and electrification of the Melkøya plant. Aibel will also build a new receiving station for power from shore, carry out integration work at the plant, and carry out further upgrades of existing systems at Hammerfest LNG to make the plant more resilient for extended life until 2050. The contract is subject to governmental approval of the project.
Snøhvit field is in the central part of Hammerfest basin, southern Barents Sea, in 310-340 m of water. Snøhvit Future consists of online compression and electrification of Hammerfest LNG at Melkøya. As the pressure drops in the reservoirs, compression is required to ensure sufficient flow of the gas to the plant. The project will extend plateau production while reducing CO2 emissions from the plant by 850,000 tonnes annually, corresponding to 2% of Norway’s total emissions.
NOK 13.2 billion will be invested in the Snøhvit Future project.
Equinor is operator (36.79%) with partners Petoro AS (30.00%), TotalEnergies EP Norge AS (18.40%), Neptune Energy Norge AS (12.00%), and Wintershall Dea Norge AS (2.81%).
