Saipem and Siemens have signed a joint development for subsea control systems for Saipem’s Subsea Bus architecture based on Siemens Subsea DigiGrid.
Siemens, through its subsea entity, will support Saipem in realizing the Saipem Subsea Bus architecture, by adapting and further developing the Siemens Subsea DigiGrid digitalization, control and communication portfolio into a customized subsea control system.
This system is one of the key enabling elements of Saipem’s technology platform for subsea processing systems, and it will be the first control system in the market promoting a modularized and standardized subsea system through open framework architecture, says Saipem.
The Saipem Subsea Bus is an extendable open framework platform of software and hardware components, including development and debugging tools, designed to ensure full support for and integration into all subsea applications.
The combined system will be capable of controlling an “All Electric” configuration, ideally suited for subsea fields with long distances between wells and host facility, thereby avoiding expensive hydraulic umbilical cables while leveraging distributed architectures with high performing control units to support the most demanding and innovative subsea technology applications, such as seawater treatment and separation.
“The open framework architecture will facilitate the unlocking of the supply chain and the achievement of cost savings through an innovative technological approach,” says Stefano Cao, Saipem CEO.