Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | NIA_NGGT0058 | |
| Title | Variable Envelope Compressor Economic Study (VECES) | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas) 100%; | |
| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | SOCIAL SCIENCES (Business and Management Studies) 50%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 50%; |
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| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given National Grid Gas Transmission |
|
| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 August 2014 | |
| End Date | 01 November 2015 | |
| Duration | 15 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £48,000 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Energy | |
| Region | London | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , National Grid Gas Transmission (100.000%) |
| Web Site | http://www.smarternetworks.org/project/NIA_NGGT0058 |
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| Objectives | Establish if there is a substantial economic business case for utilising Variable Envelope Compressors on the UK Gas Transmission System. This project will: Obtain the working knowledge of the operators of the two facilities that operate variable envelope centrifugal compressors on natural gas systems. This will identify the economic as well as the technical reasons for installing the technology as well as establishing first-hand experience of constructing, operating and maintaining the technology. Use the planned construction project at either Huntingdon or Peterborough as a case study and establish what economic benefits could be gained if this technology was employed on National Grid facilities. The project has been broken down into two high level stages. If following the meetings with the operators the viability of variable envelope compressor in terms of financial and/or technical is not proven or has realisable potential the project will be halted. | |
| Abstract | The flow of gas on the Gas Transmission System is facilitated by a fleet of 71 compressors at 24 compressor sites. Placed across the country, these compressors move the gas from entry points to exit points on the gas network - and ultimately to customers’ homes and businesses. The Gas Transmission System was originally designed for stable, 1 in 20 year forecast peak demand. Gas generally entered the Gas Transmission System from stable, predictable supplies like the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS commonly referred to as North Sea gas). Declining UKCS supplies in recent years coupled with continued gas demand has seen the introduction of new supplies located in more southerly areas of the system, such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import terminals, causing flow patterns to change significantly. Into the future, new storage sites are expected to be developed together with new interconnector routes between other European countries and the UK, and possibly new sources of gas within the UK, such as shale gas. As North Sea gas sources contribute less, and LNG sources (importing in South Wales and the South East of England) contribute more, compressors which had previously experienced relatively stable operation are now experiencing frequent and significant changes in duty. New demands of flexibility are being placed on the network and these impacts are expected to increase over the next two or three decades as we progress further to a low carbon energy sector. Fast response gas fired power stations are set to become the flexible generation source to cope with wind intermittency and peak demand. Fast electricity generation responses are likely to cause large, frequent and rapid fluctuations in gas demand, with these changes being met by diverse supplies connected to the Gas Transmission System. There is an ever-increasing requirement for short duration reconfiguration of the Gas Transmission System. This is likely to lead to a growing number of compressors operating in inefficient areas of, or even outside, their design envelope for an increasing amount of time. Much of this resilience requirement could be met by compressors that are more inherently flexible. Previous projects have identified that the technology to introduce variable envelope technology is feasible; this project wants to investigate the economic feasibility of such technology to inform investment decisions going forward. Stage 1 - Visit and interview the operators of the two facilities that operate variable envelope centrifugal compressors on natural gas systems. These visits and interviews will identify the economic as well as the technical reasons for installing the technology as well as establishing first-hand experience of constructing, operating and maintaining the technology. Stage 2 - Using the planned construction project at either Huntingdon or Peterborough as a case study, establish what economic benefits could be gained if this technology was employed on National Grid facilities.Note : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 17/12/18 | |
