New JIP Looks Into Compact Steam Generator to Cut Offshore Platforms Emissions

Technology company Techouse has teamed up with several energy companies, including TotalEnergies and Equinor, to develop and test a compact once-through steam generator (OTSG) that could reduce fuel consumption and emissions at offshore installations.

The joint industry project (JIP), initiated by SINTEF Energy Research, has been awarded $1 million in funding from the Norwegian Research Council, with the project’s total budget amounting to more than $5.5 million.

The JIP aims to develop and test a lightweight and compact OTSG as a core component of offshore combined cycle power plants (CCPP). The combined cycle is a heat and power solution where heat from the exhaust of the gas turbines is used to generate superheated steam. The steam is then used to produce additional power in a steam turbine.

The result is that power output increases with 30-33%, or the required power is produced with 22-25% less fuel consumption, compared to the conventional solution where only gas turbines are used for power and heating purposes on board an offshore installation, according to the partners. The system also provides heat to process heat.

OTSG 3D Rendering (Credit: Techouse)

The challenge with today’s OTSG solutions is the weight and size of the heat recovery equipment that generates steam from the gas turbine exhaust. In this JIP, a lightweight OTSG will be developed and tested to prove the feasibility of building a robust lightweight OTSG. Important tests will be performed with respect to performance, vibrations and fatigue.

The JIP target is to achieve a 40-50% reduction of weight and a 10-15% reduction in footprint.

The partners aim to complete the test project by the end of 2025, with the objective of making the compact OTSG available as a commercial product in 2026.

“Most oil and gas offshore installations lacks available deck space and weight capacity. This is the challenge we are trying to solve. A smaller lightweight solution will increase the likelihood of adaptation of CCPP on offshore installations, also for fixed installations where weight is more critical than on floating installation,” said Pål Kloster, sales and business development director at Techouse.