Problem statement
The Gryphon Alpha FPSO has five diesel generators and historically the operating philosophy has been to run two or three of these per day to power the thrusters. This is in addition to power provided by the two gas turbines. It was decided to explore ways to make this process more efficient.
Aim
Reduce the use of the diesel generators and seek out ways to power the thrusters more efficiently.
Method
Collaborated with the Barge Masters and Offshore Leadership team to explore the benefits of using the diesel generators less frequently.
A plan was put in place to power the thrusters using the gas turbines instead of using both the diesel generators and the gas turbines.
Impact
By using the gas turbines to solely provide power to the thrusters the FPSO has projected an annual cost saving of c.£1million:
- Saving diesel fuel costs
- Reducing service costs through extended service intervals based on lower running hours
Compared to 2016, 2017 has seen an average of 1.04 fewer diesel generators running since the implementation of the new operating philosophy.
On top of the cost savings, the practice has reduced noise and reduced the FPSO’s carbon footprint through fewer emissions.
Total savings anticipated: c£1m per year