SHELL OFFSHORE

The Challenge

Shell is a key provider of the energy that millions of people use for heating and powering the UK and Worldwide. They operate around 25% of the UK’s oil and gas supplies and produce about 16% of the nation’s petrol and diesel. Shell U.K. Exploration and Production operate offshore oil production platforms in the North Sea.

Some of Shell’s offshore platforms are left unmanned and electrical supply is via diesel generators that tend to be susceptible to corrosion from the atmosphere, require constant maintenance and frequent refuelling. All trips to the platforms would be via helicopters in differing weather conditions resulting in some energy supply problems going unresolved until weather conditions improve to allow helicopters to fly.

The Solution

Working closely in conjunction with Shell to ascertain their needs Proven Energy produced a unique solution, the Proven 7EX small wind turbine. Proven Energy turbines are marine grade as standard and not susceptible to weathering and were specifically designed to be explosion proof attracting a wide variety of customers with remote servicing requirements. The turbine blades are uniquely designed to operate in high winds and are perfect for an offshore location as they do not shutdown, energy supply is constant and Shell benefit from fast payback and a reliable energy supply, in this instance payback is ‘30 seconds’.

To meet Shell’s needs the Proven Energy turbines had to demonstrate exceptional reliability in a very hostile environment for two years — which they did and are now being rolled out to a series of rigs.