AKA ESS (Energy Storage System) successfully installed and tested
Canadian-based engineering and power systems solutions firm Aspin Kemp and Associates Inc. (AKA) has successfully installed and tested Energy Storage Systems (ESS) that transfer power to the thrusters of Transocean’s Spitsbergen drilling vessel. This marks the world’s first-time thrusters have been run directly from batteries on a drilling vessel. The project not only demonstrates safe installation of Lithium-Ion batteries on an Offshore drilling rig but also enables safer operation and increased reliability for station keeping. Additional benefits lie in the optimization of how the diesels are run which saves fuel and reduces environmental impact.
Members of the AKA Engineering Team in front of the AKA ESS on the Transocean Spitsbergen (from left to right, front row: Jack Yan and Paul Fletcher; back row: Tristan Caron-Lévesque and Aleksandar Cholakov)
AKA’s full scope of supply for the Spitsbergen Hybrid System includes the conversion to DP3 closed-bus operation and the addition of 5.6 MW of Hybrid Power. The thrusters can operate completely independently of the main generators and distribution system allowing the main generators to be fully optimized to the load and simultaneously reducing DP station keeping risk. The retrofit is underway in Norway while the drilling rig is in full operation. AKA now has successfully demonstrated the Hybrid concept on the first thruster where the ESS transferred energy to the thruster for a short period of time. The team on-site is continuing with the commissioning of the remaining seven thrusters.
Jason Aspin, CEO of Aspin Kemp & Associates, said: “This project is a step-change in the way industry views currently operating drilling rigs. It demonstrates that these rigs can be converted to safer, more reliable and environmentally-responsible operations without incurring downtime. The AKA Energy Storage System at the thrusters is a new way of making the vessels substantially safer by keeping them in position even during a potential failure of the power plant. This prevents them from drifting off the drilling location which endangers the people who work on these rigs and our environment. The project is a continuation of our partnership with Transocean who have proven time and time again that they will be at the forefront of technological development through investing and collaborating on these innovative technologies.”
About Aspin Kemp & Associates
AKA is a systems integrator focusing on innovation, reliability, safety, and energy efficiency in marine, island and microgrid power systems. AKA designs, manufactures, installs, and supports innovative power generation, power to process and energy management solutions for marine, Offshore Oil and Gas, and land-based industries to the global market. AKA’s global headquarters is based in Montague, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
AKA achievements include the world’s first hybrid-powered harbor assist tug boat, world’s first hybrid offshore drilling system, as well as being a pioneer and world leader in highly reliable and efficient closed bus solutions for vessels utilizing dynamic positioning systems. Over the last 20 year of operation, AKA has shifted the paradigm by offering the world’s most reliable and efficient power and propulsion systems; radically reducing the cost, the environmental footprint and the risk associated with marine operations. A strategic aspect of AKA’s success has been through collaboration with key industry partners. This has allowed AKA to develop and continuously improve technology for power, propulsion and marine/industrial applications where reliability and efficiency are critical operational elements.
Find out more about AKA’s products and services for the Offshore Oil and Gas sector here: https://www.aka-group.com/oil-gas/