ABB has announced it will provide oil and gas company Woodside with a PowerStore battery storage system that is capable of remote management of operations and service.

The system will contribute to Woodside’s 2020 goal of reducing carbon emissions and help lower the company’s cost of operations and maintenance.

“ABB has a proud history of the dependable supply of technology to Woodside. Our association began in 1983 and we are excited that our global centre of excellence for Microgrids based in Darwin is contributing towards Woodside’s emission reduction targets with this innovative technology,” says ABB Australia managing director Tauno Heinola.

ABB’s battery storage system will be installed on the Goodwyn A platform, which is located approximately 135km northwest of Karratha in Western Australia and has been operating since 1995. The 55,000 tonne production facility is more than 290m tall and stands in a water depth of 131m. It combines production, re-injection, utilities and accommodation facilities.

The containerised, plug-and-play PowerStore battery storage system will support Goodwyn A’s existing gas turbine generators. The battery will replace one of the six existing gas turbine generators, reducing the need to use the emergency diesel generator.

The storage system will be incorporated within the microgrid to provide a ‘spinning reserve’ short-term backup, while a dedicated ABB AbilityTM Microgrid Plus control system will act as the brain of the solution. It will be possible to remotely operate the microgrid if the need arises or the platform has to be de-manned for any reason.

“We are pleased to partner with Woodside on pioneering a PowerStore battery energy solution for offshore oil and gas, which will decrease the user’s environmental impact and help optimise costs. Microgrids and energy storage are key focus areas of our Next Level strategy and this innovative solution reinforces ABB’s position as a partner of choice in enabling a stronger, smarter and greener grid,” says ABB head the grid automation business within the Power Grids division Massimo Danieli.