Subsea chemical storage and injection systems are an innovative all-electric technology that moves the chemical units from the topside to the seabed, close to wells. The objective is to replace the expensive umbilical tubing, conventionally dedicated to chemicals distribution, with a power and communication link between the new subsea chemical units and the topside facility. Also, the technology allows debottlenecking of the congested topsides in brownfield context.

Saipem completed a challenging industrialisation programme for an innovative subsea chemical storage and injection solution, starting from concept definition up to the fabrication and qualification of all the building blocks.

For the Storage, two different double barriers technologies have been qualified. The first solution, which is common to other systems, is based on a deformable Bladder for the primary barrier. In the second solution, the primary solid barrier between the chemical and sea water is replaced by a liquid layer, forming a liquid stacking tower. Both solutions have been successfully tested for chemical compatibility and correct functioning, respectively through lab testing and prototype testing.

The presentation will introduce the elements of technological novelty of the equipment and will describe the methodology, challenges, and main results of the programme. The technical solution will be discussed, describing the main technological building blocks. A summary of the qualification campaign, performed to reach the current technology maturity level, will be provided. Finally, an overview of potential applications will be presented to convey the potential of this technology.