Page 9 - GLNG Week 12 2021

GLNG AFRICA GLNG

ABB to provide electrical systems

for Mozambique LNG

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

Week 12 26•March•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P9