ABS: Offshore Substations and Electrical Service Platforms

The American Bureau of Shipping has published the Requirements for Offshore Substations and Electrical Service Platforms.

Electrical Service Platforms

Electrical Service Platforms are offshore installations with equipment installed onboard primarily for the transmission of power to an onshore substation or power grid serving other assets or locations.

This document is developed to provide requirements on the design, construction, and survey for Electrical Service Platforms.

Requirements are outlined for the power supply for installed electrical equipment and devices, battery systems, and distribution equipment installed on board.

This document is applicable to site-specific bottom-founded or floating installations for use as Electrical Service Platforms.

The following notations are offered to Electrical Service Platforms:

For Fixed Platforms:

Electrical Service Platform (Offshore Installation)

For Floating Site Specific Platforms:

Electrical Service Platform (Hull Type)

At the request of the owner, the optional notation OSS is offered to the power supply, transmission, battery systems, and distribution equipment installed on an Electrical Service Platform solely intended for the installation’s function as an offshore Substation.

This document is to be used in conjunction with other applicable Rules and Guides published by ABS, applicable recognized codes/standards, and international Regulations.

Classification

The requirements for conditions of classification are contained in the ABS Rules for Conditions of Classification – Offshore Units and Structures (Part 1).

Additional requirements specific to the offshore substation and electrical service platform are contained within this document.

Application

This document is applicable to new construction offshore electrical service platforms as defined in Subsection 1/10.

Scope

This document is intended to define classification requirements for the design, installation, and survey of electrical service platforms including substations as defined in Subsection 1/10 on bottom-founded and floating offshore electric service platforms.

This document contains requirements for:

Transmission substations where the transformation of the voltage level from an offshore power plant occurs. For example, transformation of 36 kV to 132 kV, or 150 kV or 220 kV to an onshore substation.
The design, installation, and surveys (at manufacturer’s facility, installation onboard, in-service inspections, annual, periodical surveys, etc.) of offshore substations, in areas of substation protection and control system, metering, remote monitoring, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), communication systems, cybersecurity, fire protection systems, lightning protection, etc.
Equipment and systems qualification such as energy storage systems (ESS), computer-based systems, power electronic converters, large power transformers, Medium Voltage (MV), High Voltage (HV) gas insulated switchgear equipment, circuit breakers for DC and AC systems, installed on the offshore electrical substations facilities.
Fire and gas detection systems, public address/general alarm systems, obstruction/navigation lights, auxiliary systems, emergency source of power, etc. where required.

Export cables or transmission cables (aerial or subsea) to and from the electrical service platform are not within the scope of classification.

This Guide was published on 1 June 2023 and became effective on the same date.

If you need more information, please visit the ABS Rules and Guides page, where the document is available FOR FREE.