Page 11 - AfrElec Week 12 2021

AfrElec GAS-FIRED GENERATION AfrElec

ABB to provide electrical

systems for Mozambique LNG

MOZAMBIQUE ABB, the Swedish-Swiss engineering concern, the operator of the Mozambique LNG project,
revealed last week that it had agreed to provide might be sending part of its workforce back to
“comprehensive integrated and intelligent elec- the Afungi Peninsula to resume work on the
trical systems” for the Mozambique LNG project. group’s onshore complex.
In a statement, the company said it would Total had evacuated several thousand non-es-
be working within the framework of a contract sential workers from the site in January, follow-
with CCS, the joint venture established by Chi- ing attacks on nearby villages in Mozambique’s
yoda (Japan), McDermott (US) and Saipem northern Cabo Delgado Province. But two
(Italy) to provide engineering, procurement and sources with knowledge of the French major’s
construction (EPC) service for the Mozambique plans told Upstream earlier this month that this
LNG consortium. It did not reveal the value of might change in the near future. They said Total
the deal, but it did say it would be executing the had informed staffers that they should be pre-
contract over a period of 26 months. pared to mobilise before the end of March.
During that interval, it said, several of ABB’s According to one of Upstream’s sources, the
international divisions will work together to company wants to resume work in late March,
build, deliver and install the equipment needed provided that it can secure the safety and secu-
for the end-to-end electrification scheme. ABB rity of employees and contract workers. Mozam-
Singapore is slated to lead the effort by con- bique LNG’s contractors are waiting for Total to
structing “14 large onshore electrical houses confirm its intentions before making their con-
(e-houses) or prefabricated electrical substation crete plans, he said.
buildings (PESB) specifically designed for oil and Meanwhile, the other source reported that
gas applications,” it said. Other subsidiaries of most of the consortium’s local workers had
ABB will then deliver these facilities to the site on already returned to the construction site on the
the Afungi Peninsula where Mozambique LNG Afungi Peninsula. Most of the staffers that left in
is constructing an onshore complex to support January were “top supervisors,” and Total wants
its work at the Area 1 block, it said. to send them back before the end of the month,
The electrical control and management sys- he said.
tem will make use of ABB’s 110-kV gas-insulated At present, Upstream said, there are about
switchgears (GIS) and low-voltage switchgears, 1,600 workers present at the Mozambique LNG
along with 33-kV and 11-kV medium voltage onshore complex. Total’s plans would boost the
switchgears, the statement noted. number to around 4,000, it reported.
Brandon Spencer, the president of ABB The Mozambique LNG consortium hopes to
Energy Industries, expressed satisfaction with begin gas production at Area 1, which lies off-
the contract. “Winning this project is a testament shore within the Rovuma basin, in 2024, and
to ABB’s technical superiority in electrification will bring the first train of their gas liquefaction
technologies, as well as our highly skilled man- plant online around the same time. This facility
agement and engineering capabilities,” he said. will eventually have two production trains, each
“We are proud to be part of Africa’s economic with a capacity of 6.44mn tpy.
growth story, especially Mozambique.” Total is serving as the operator of the group,
Johan de Villiers, the company’s global and its subsidiary Total E&P Mozambique
vice-president for oil and gas, added: “We have Area 1 has a 26.5% stake. Remaining equity is
optimised and customised our solutions to meet divided between two Japanese companies, Mit-
the specific technical and capital expenditure sui and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp.
requirements of the customer. With ABB as the (JOGMEC), with 20%; Mozambique’s national
main original equipment manufacturer (OEM) oil company (NOC) ENH, with 15%; Bharat
for electrical systems, [the] Mozambique LNG Petroleum (India), with 10%; ONGC Videsh Ltd
project will benefit in terms of cost-efficiency, (OVL) (India), with 10%; Beas Rovuma Energy
maintenance, service as well as upgrades and Mozambique (a 60:40 joint venture between
expansions.” OVL and Oil India Ltd (OIL)), with 10%; and
ABB announced the contract award shortly PTTEP (Thailand), with 8.5%.™
after Upstream reported that Total (France),

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