Equinor and its partners in Norway's Troll field have decided to complete the Troll West Electrification (TWEL) project without installing a second electric export compressor on the Troll C platform, a move expected to make an additional 2.3 billion standard cubic meters of gas available to Europe in 2027 and 2028.
The decision revises the project's original 2021 development plan and follows an assessment of the impact that further installation work would have on production at the offshore field.
The Troll license partnership has informed Norway's Ministry of Energy that TWEL will be completed following the commissioning of the first electric export compressor on Troll C.
According to Equinor, installing the second compressor would require extensive modifications that could reduce production from Troll C for up to 21 months.
The company said the assessment had changed since the project's approval in 2021, when temporary production losses at Troll C could be offset by increased output from Troll A.
However, Troll has been operating at maximum capacity throughout the year since 2023, increasing the importance of maintaining available compressor capacity at Troll C.
The additional compressor would also only be required until the mid-2030s, while Troll C is expected to remain operational until around 2050.
“TWEL has delivered significant emission reductions from the Troll area. At the same time, we have undertaken a new overall assessment of the remaining part of the project. We believe this is the best solution when balancing emission reductions, energy deliveries and value creation,” said Trond Bokn, Equinor's senior vice president for project development.
The partial electrification of Troll B and Troll C, completed in 2024, has already reduced emissions from the Troll area by approximately 330,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, equivalent to around 75% of the 440,000 tonnes originally targeted under the development plan.
Following completion of TWEL, Troll B will operate with one electrified and two gas-driven export compressors, while Troll C will have two electric and one gas-driven export compressor.
The revised scope will also release approximately 26 MW of reserved power capacity at Kollsnes for other purposes.
Troll, one of the largest oil and gas fields on the Norwegian continental shelf, comprises the Troll A, Troll B and Troll C platforms. Troll A has received power from shore since 1996.
Equinor operates the field with a 30.55480% interest. Its partners are Petoro with 55.92838%, Norske Shell with 8.18531%, TotalEnergies EP Norge with 3.69096% and ConocoPhillips Skandinavia with 1.64055%.
Subscribe
