Bringing power to one of the world's largest oil and gas platforms was not easy, but Troll A in the North Sea is now reaping the benefits. In February 2005, the world's first offshore HVDC transmission was successfully commissioned. Consisting of two parallel 40 MW transmissions connecting the Troll A gas platform in the North Sea, with the mainland 132 kV grid via polymeric DC cables, the offshore module was designed by ABB in collaboration with Statoil. Electrical power is supplied from the shore - for both the power supply and compressor drives - which gives way to a host of benefits. It cuts emissions and leads to a significant cost savings of oil companies. In addition, transmission of electrical energy from shore involves less maintenance and higher availability.