Upgrade for environmental protection
Maersk Intrepid will be upgraded with batteries, EEE software and SCR systems (Source: Maersk)
Denmark’s Maersk Drilling said its drilling rig Maersk Intrepid has begun undergoing a series of upgrades to convert it to a hybrid rig with low levels of nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions. The upgrades are being carried out by Maersk Drilling in cooperation with Equinor. The first upgrade of Maersk Intrepid will be the installation of batteries for the hybrid power solution, Energy Emission Efficiency (EEE) software and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems. Full implementation of all low-emission upgrades is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.
Maersk Drilling plans to implement potential upgrades to reduce emissions from other rigs in the company’s drilling fleet. Maersk Drilling has successfully applied for project funding through the NOx Fund, a Norwegian industry fund dedicated to reducing NOx emissions. The fund is contributing a grant of up to 80% of project costs, subject to verification of the emission-reducing upgrades, and has high hopes for the coming upgrades of Maersk Intrepid which it sees as a benchmark for the offshore industry.
