All-Electrical FPSO Scheme With Variable-Speed Drive Systems

The intent of this paper is to present the possible electrical solutions for an “all-electrical” floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) scheme. It describes the underlying reasons, both technical and economical, that led to the selection of variable-speed drive systems (VSDSs) as drivers of the large electric motors for the FPSO. This paper gives also the positive and negative impacts of this innovative architecture on the FPSO design, capital expenditure, operating expenditure, and project execution schedule. Finally, this paper gives the challenges that require particular attention and the way forward for the “all-electrical” FPSO scheme using large VSDSs.