Offshore staff
FLORVAG, Norway – Framo has received a Spotlight on New Technology award at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) for its Framo Submerged Turbine development.
This is said to be capable of increasing the efficiency of cooling water systems on offshore installations by up to 30% and reducing CO2 emissions generated by these systems by up to 3,000 to 5,000 metric tons annually.
During offshore operations, large volumes of seawater are typically lifted from the sea to deck level for use as a cooling medium for processing equipment before being returned to the sea. The Framo Submerged Turbine generates electric power as the cooling water flows overboard from the deck.
As the turbine is submersible, its additional static height during this process can lead to up to 70% additional energy recovery compared to a topside-mounted turbine, the company said. And the generated power can feed into the total power supply on the offshore installation, reducing gas fuel consumption for power generation.
That, in turn, allows for potentially increased gas exports and lower operational costs.
Framo expects the greatest benefits on offshore installations that require large amounts of cooling water in areas with higher water temperatures.
Over the past decade, Framo said seawater cooling volumes have increased by a factor of more than two to three due to the emergence of larger offshore process facilities and combined cycle power generation systems.
The Framo Submerged Turbine is said to suit new installations and retrofits to existing facilities, with analytical calculations confirming its performance and efficiency.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Yinson Production has agreed to adopt the new Framo Submerged Turbine technology for its FPSO projects.
The technique provides regeneration of energy from the waste cooling water flowing from offshore installations.
According to Framo, offshore installations use large volumes of seawater to cool their onboard operations. After use, the water is returned to the sea, and due to the height from the deck to sea level, the force generated by the dumped water is considerable.
The Framo Submerged Turbine uses this flow to generate electric power for use by the offshore installation, reducing the amount of fuel gas needed for onboard energy production, which in turn allows for more produced gas to be released for sale.
Tests indicate the technology can generate 20-30% of all power used while lifting seawater to deck.
The Framo Submerged Turbine is based on the design of the Framo SE seawater lift pump.
It is said to be suitable for new projects and for retrofitting to existing facilities.
05.03.2023
