Is electrification of Norwegian offshore industry a necessary climate initiative? Without a doubt, says platform manager and hobby fisherman Torstein Halstensen.
Torstein Halstensen has worked as an operational manager at Equinor for 18 years and, prior to that, spent nine years employed in various supplier companies in the oil industry. For the past two years, he has been the platform manager for Troll C. He is responsible for the emergency preparedness of a crew of around 100 people, ensuring safe and stable delivery of vast amounts of energy, and overseeing a conversion to electric power. Now, the platform is partly powered from shore.
“I see how important this transition is for reducing our emissions and costs. I see our social responsibility, and I believe we are doing the right thing,” says Torstein.
Troll is located in the North Sea and is Norway’s largest oil and gas field. The field covers about 10 percent of Europe’s gas demand, and the energy production is equivalent to about three times Norway’s annual hydropower production. The field is therefore a key component of Europe’s energy security. When Troll A was fully electrified almost 30 years ago, it became the first platform on the Norwegian continental shelf to do so, avoiding half a million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. However, emissions from the continental shelf are still significant. Twenty-five percent of Norway’s emissions come from oil and gas, and Troll B and C are part of this picture. As a result of the partial electrification of the platforms in 2024, annual emissions from the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) will be reduced by 250.000 tons of CO2.
On a typically grey early summer day in Western Norway, Torstein welcomes us aboard his fishing boat. Here, a few miles south of Torgallmenningen in Bergen, he has been fishing in the fjord since he was a boy, and his enthusiasm is still there. Torstein knows a lot about what lies beneath the surface in the archipelago he will be guiding us through. “Cod, yes, I could catch twenty in a day. Now they are rarer to see.”
Torstein handles the catch and explains how climate change has led to noticeable differences in fish stocks. He is calm and serious.
“Cod and wild salmon are losing out, while fish species suited to warmer waters, like mackerel, are moving further north. We must be concerned when nature is changing,” he says.
What does Torstein answer if someone asks how he, being so environmentally conscious, can work in the industry he does?
“Then I answer that it is precisely because of that. As a platform manager, I have a fantastic opportunity to make a direct impact. We have great opportunities to make a difference.”
“We can’t do much about the world’s energy needs. But we have a responsibility to deliver energy to society, and for now, oil and gas are an important part of that supply. Therefore, we must make it as clean as possible,” says Torstein.
Electrification will be a significant contribution to reducing Norway’s total greenhouse gas emissions and is part of a larger plan. By 2030, our ambition is to halve emissions from our own oil and gas production. This will be achieved through increased energy efficiency on the platforms, the closure of some platforms, and the most important thing of all—electrifying the platforms that will continue to produce in the coming decades. The Troll field is expected to deliver oil and gas until 2050 and can function as a production hub for other discoveries in the area. Therefore, production must be as low-emission as possible.
As a platform manager, it is important for Torstein to consider the overall picture, where operating costs are a factor in addition to the climate account. Less gas wastage also means that operations become more profitable.
“My message is twofold because we must dare to talk about economics too. What do we gain from switching from gas to electric power?” says Torstein.
Prior to the partial electrification of Troll C, we consumed about 450,000 cubic metres of gas every single day to run the facility. This gas had a market value of approximately NOK 650 million a year. On top of that came CO2 taxes of NOK 530 million a year, half of which went to the Norwegian state and half to the EU. These taxes previously accounted for around half of the operating costs on Troll C, after having doubled in just a few years. Going forward, it is expected that CO2 taxes will increase further.
For someone who gets as close to the extraction process as he does, it is also important to talk about several of the benefits of electrification for everyone working offshore.
“On a platform with gas pipes under pressure, safety is extremely important. When we electrify, we remove the gas that powers the facility. This reduces the risk of accidents and avoids exposure to chemicals. So, we ensure safer workplaces over time. For our people offshore, it means a better working environment and safer days at work,” says Torstein.
Finally, what does the platform manager believe is needed to reach the goal of net zero by 2050 as quickly as possible?
“Well, the population must be with us. Politicians must be with us. We must have cooperation. If we hit snags now, it will be difficult for us to get there. So, we need to have the politicians with us. And they need to have the people with them. And I believe we can actually achieve that.”
