Adding few numbers to .@SStapczynski explainer
To move any fluid from point A to B in a pipeline has to be pressurized, be it Oil / Water /Natural Gas
Nord Stream is a 1,224 km (760 mile) long pipeline with most of it undersea
Gas from Portovoya has to travel all this distance
So to pressurize Natural Gas, compressors are used.
These comes in all sizes, as small as in you refrigerator to sizes larger than a house
Compressors are a rotating machinery hence it either needs a electric motor or Gas Turbine to rotate it or commonly said as to drive it.
These compressors pressurize the gas to >220 barg (3190 psi) at the station
On normal landline routes there is at-least one more compressor station over this long distance
But in Nord Stream there is no intermediate pressuring station, so has to be highly pressurized in Russia.
The 220 barg (3190 psi) gradually losses its pressure on its way to Germany due to pipe friction losses
Germany receives at 170 barg (2465 psi) at Lubmin onshore facility
Pressure is further reduced on land to 100 barg (1450 psi) & gas is cleaned & warmed up before distribution
Compressor station at Portovaya Landfall facility are segregated into different segments.
The compressors form part of what is called Gas Pumping Unit (GPU).
This GPU package was supplied by Rolls Royce with Compressors from Siemens (then Dresser Rand)
rigzone.com/news/oil_gas/a…
Compressor Station at Portovaya, is made up of 8 gas-pumpling units
6-GPU with 52 MW capacity
2-GPU with 27 MW capacity
All the 52MW GPU have a Rolls-Royce Gas Turbine
Russian companies did not had a reference of similar size unit hence Gazprom had settled with foreign supply
If my understanding is correct. The GPU are configured this manner and it’s pretty standard industrial practice.
Gazprom recently reduced 20% capacity for each turbine loss.
It means GPU configuration is
5 x 20% operating units
1 x 20% standby unit.
go.tass.ru/jndqi
And even before Nord Stream went into maintanence the flow through pipeline was at 40%
So Prior to June 14th, Gas flow was higher than 40%
This means three GPU out of Six 52MW GPUs were working prior to mid June.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
And understanding is site had minimum 2 more 52 MW spare Gas Turbines
So tracking Gazprom mid June announcement we can only track issues in 3 GPU
We don’t know what is status of renaming 3 GPU and spare Gas Turbines at site.
Btw I’ve not come to actual part that has the issue within Gas Turbine. It’s for another weekend.
Sources used on this thread
- nord-stream.com/download/docum…
- nord-stream.com/download/docum…
- nord-stream.com/download/file/…
- nord-stream.com/press-info/pre…
- Gazprom website
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.