Knut Nyborg Head of Front End at Aker Solutions template structure . The process train utilizes conventional principles of separating liquid from gas in a subsea scrubber , where the liquid is pressurized by a subsea centrifugal pump while the gas is compressed by subsea compressors . The wellstream is cooled by subsea pipe coolers .
Compressors are designed to withstand a certain amount of liquid . For increased confidence of this first-off concept , full quality scrubbers have been included in the system to provide stable and reliable operating conditions . The gas compressors are HOFIM compressors from MAN Diesel Turbo and are set up with reliable magnetic bearings for maximum reliability .
The control system is all-electric , meaning that there is no hydraulics in the system . All valves are operated with electric actuators . Aker Solutions in December 2010 was awarded the contract to deliver the subsea compression system . It took four and a half years from the project ’ s start to first gas on September 17 , 2015 . A close collaboration with Statoil and Aker Solutions ’ suppliers was essential to ensure the successful delivery of this break-through technology .
The technology is a major milestone for the subsea industry , opening new opportunities in deeper waters , harsh environments and in areas far from shore . The Åsgard system is designed for large flow rates , built to be reliable , efficient and flexible , and it has operated smoothly from the first installation and during normal operation . The technology recently reached a so-called technology readiness level seven ( TRL 7 ) as the only subsea compression system in the world .
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