Trans-Alaska Pipeline Electrical Power Requirements and Systems

The Trans-Alaska pipeline was built to transport crude oil from the Prudhoe Bay field on the North Slope of Alaska to an ice-free port in south-central Alaska. The 48 in pipeline has a design capacity of two million barrels per day but is currently operating at a 1.52-million rate. The pipeline passes over several mountain ranges and is more than 50 percent above ground, exposed to temperatures ranging from ¿70°F to 100°F. Some 800 rivers and streams are crossed. The power requirements to operate this pipeline are discussed. The majority of the power is generated in-house; however, utilities are utilized at three pump stations with in-house backup generators. Sixty-two motor-operated valves depend on local energy converters to keep batteries charged.