Page 49 - Gi February 2019 - flipbook

THE MODERN WAY

By Ben Kuchta, Midlands Section Chair

THE MIDLANDS SECTION recently successful application of the
welcomed DNV GL’s Dr Troy Swankie technology on the Welsh
and Anthony Wood to talk about government’s Red Roses project,
Repair Techniques in a Modern Age. involving significant changes to the
Delegates travelled to Meetpoint A477, and Transport Scotland’s new
Midlands at IGEM House on 22 bypass on the A737.
November to hear Anthony give an On both occasions, the epoxy
overview of the practical applications shell technology was successfully
of DNV GL’s epoxy shell clamp used and influenced TD/1 to
technology and how it is being applied recognise the techniques.
to various diameter pipes. In the case of the Red Roses
This work began as a British Gas project, National Grid had considered Ben Kuchta with Anthony Wood
development in the late 1980s and shutting down the pipeline at an
went through extensive performance estimated cost of at least £50 million. design compliant with the
testing before becoming the principal Thanks to the success of using the requirements of TD/1 and the pipelines
repair system in the UK for damaged epoxy shell technology, DNV GL was remained operational throughout
transmission and distribution systems. awarded the 2016 Landbased/ without the need for hot works.
However, since the 1980s, this Onshore Pipeline Technology Award Following the Q&A session,
technology has evolved and is now from the Pipeline Industries Guild. delegates stayed to hear more about
used on small diameter pipes, end Overall, the epoxy shell technology the continued work Anthony and Troy
seals and to encapsulate fittings. has proven itself to be a cost effective have been and will be doing with the
Troy followed by explaining the solution for pipeline protection; it is technology. ■

SCANNING THE HORIZON FOR
GAS NETWORKS IN IRELAND

By Simon Trollope, IGEM Head of engineering challenges SGN Natural
Development & Knowledge Delivery Gas and its contractors have faced,
including 22 river and bridge
IN OCTOBER, what promises to be crossings, 22 off road crossings and
the first of many events uniting the over 150 smaller crossings.
whole of the Irish Section saw Next, Denver Wasson, from
around 30 guests from across Phoenix Natural Gas, shared details
Northern Ireland and Eire gather in of his network, which serves 318,000 David Butler, Section Chair
Cork to discuss the future of the properties via 3,700km of pipeline.
country’s gas networks. He shared Phoenix’s latest project – some 30m below the river.
Sponsored by Gas Networks – the East Down expansion to 13 He went on to captivate the
Ireland (GNI), the event was opened towns and 28,000 properties – and audience with the tale of how he
by the company’s Liam Nolan before outlined how the company monitors found an unexploded WWII bomb
each of the network operators network pressure for 230,000 of its while trying to recover an acoustic
shared their current plans and customers. This allows them to check tester from the river.
developments with the eager crowd. pressure across peak gas flow and Finally, Andrew Kelly, from Gas
Irish Section Chair David Butler, of thus gives them the ability to check Networks Ireland, shared his network’s
SGN Natural Gas, updated the when reinforcement is required. ambition to deliver 20 per cent of its
audience on his network’s plans in Jonathan Strain, of Firmus Energy, gas demand through renewable
conjunction with project partner shared plans to expand the Firmus sources by 2030. It intends to achieve
Mutual Energy to take gas to the network in conjunction with prime this by injecting biomethane into the
west of Northern Ireland. contractor Kier Utilities. grid or by transporting it via specialist
Their aim is to make gas available He then went on to share the gas tankers to a central injection point.
to 171,000 properties through the learnings of a flagship project Andrew also shared GNI’s plans to
installation of 7bar pipelines in crossing the River Foyle in Derry via help decarbonise transport in Ireland
seven towns. a 47.9mm PE gas pipe – the first of by building a network of 14 CNG
He outlined some of the its kind installed in Northern Ireland fuelling stations. ■

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