solar energy used on Malaysian satellites for cost savings and environmental benefits

This article originally appeared in the Lamp, 2008 — Number 1

As the largest supplier of natural gas to Peninsular Malaysia and a leading oil producer, ExxonMobil is tapping the sun to power a network of offshore platforms.

It’s fitting that a unique use of solar-power technology is succeeding at an ExxonMobil affiliate where there is no winter and sunlight is plentiful most every day of the year.

At oil and gas fields off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc. (EMEPMI) is combining solar panels and thermoelectric generators to power unstaffed oil and gas platforms run by remote control. These high-efficiency, environmentally friendly Satellite Field Development (SFD) platforms are unique in the Malaysian oil and gas industry.

“The satellite platforms are small, basic production facilities,” says Roziah Noordin, environment and emergency response manager in the company’s Safety, Health and Environment Department. “They have no living quarters, and since they’re unstaffed, they’re controlled by a centralized platform at a different location.”

Spanning several generations

EMEPMI’s “first generation” of these SFD platforms — one platform design replicated at five offshore sites – was installed in 2001. The platforms use a hybrid power-generation system to run basic platform equipment such as process controls, safety systems and communications. With this system, solar panels produce half the electricity needed to power the platform, and thermoelectric generators deliver the other half. When solar power fluctuates throughout the day, as well as during inclement weather, specialized charge controllers and batteries are used to optimize power generation on the platforms.

Since the installation of the first-generation platforms proved so effective, another five were added through 2005, and the latest SFD platform, Jerneh B, was installed in February of this year. With every generation, small improvements were made to the power system to improve robustness, such as the addition of voltage regulators on Jerneh B for consistent power supply during days with intense sunlight.

Uniqueness brought challenges

Although successful, the SFD program presented a number of obstacles the ExxonMobil Malaysia team had to overcome. Since the platforms are unstaffed and relatively small, they are different from the conventional, full-sized offshore structures containing crews of workers living and working onboard. But the novel concept is delivering impressive results by reducing costs and extending the life of platform components.

For example, the electrical equipment used on these satellite platforms has been carefully selected to consume low amounts of power, thus saving money and energy. An SFD platform uses an average of 700 watts of electric energy; a typical home air conditioner needs 1,000 watts to operate.

Reaping rewards

The hybrid power system on the SFD platforms is designed to last and, with minimal maintenance, can operate 20 years or more. The solar panels promote the use of clean renewable energy, resulting in lower maintenance and operating cost with zero emissions. The thermoelectric generators have no moving parts; thus they are efficient and emit little noise.

A joint group of environmental organizations and trade associations in Malaysia awarded EMEPMI the prestigious Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award for Exceptional Achievement in Environmental Performance for this innovative application of cost-effective, eco-friendly technology.

“We’ve seen the advantages of this hybrid power system as we’ve installed each generation of the satellite platforms,” concludes Noordin. “The efficiency, cost advantages and environmental benefits of the system have been very encouraging, and we continue to make improvements as we learn more.”