The first project in the world to use ABB's (Zurich, Switzerland) HVDC Light power system for offshore transmission was commissioned in October. The power cable system, designed for underground and submarine power transmission applications, supplies Statoil's (Stavanger, Norway) Troll A gas production platform via two 60-kV HVDC cables.

Located 70 km (44 miles) off the west coast of Norway, this project combines the HVDC Light technology with ABB's Motorformer, a very-high-voltage (VHV) cable-wound motor. Two 40-MW high-voltage ABB VHV motors drive compressor motors, eliminating the need to install conventional generation plant, gas turbines or diesel engines on the platform.

Design features of the project include health and safety benefits on the platform and the elimination of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. The 56-kV inverter station on the platform is directly connected to the motor, thus no transformer is needed. The offshore HVDC Light module was factory assembled and precommissioned tested prior to being shipped to the Troll A platform. The rectifiers at the 132-kV Kollsnes on-shore station are connected to standard grid transformers that receive a duplicate supply from Stattnet's 132-kV network. From the rectifiers at Kollsnes, the HVDC cables supply the inverters installed on the Troll A platform. The ac side of the inverter is connected to the 40-MW, 56-kV motors via a circuit breaker and ac cables without the need for a power transformer.