21 September 2015

Costain is delivering engineering design services to help National Grid keep gas supplies moving around the country.

“Most people don’t appreciate what needs to happen to get gas to their home or business, we only take notice when it is not there,” says Costain Design Health Safety & Environment Engineer, Adrian Jones.

Adrian, on the other hand, very much understands what needs to happen, as part of the team delivering Front End Engineering Designs (FEED) for the redevelopment of two National Grid gas compressor stations that enable natural gas to be transported around the UK.

Costain is helping the international utility company modernise its sites and existing equipment at Peterborough and Huntingdon compressor stations. Today’s constant drive for greener, more environmentally-friendly methods of working has seen advances in gas turbine technology, which drive the gas compression systems, that result in cleaner exhaust emissions. National Grid is installing such technology at many of its sites to improve their environmental performance and efficiency, which will contribute to the UK achieving its internationally-agreed air quality commitments.

“As part of the gas turbine upgrades we’re replacing the majority of the sites’ process infrastructure that make pumping gas possible,” said Adrian. “These compressor stations are up to 40 years old and much of the wider site assets are being replaced to fully benefit from the new, cleaner and more efficient compression technology, so National Grid is investing now to ensure they meet their future environmental and supply commitments.”

Costain has been working on the project since January 2014. “We carried out a feasibility study, which finished in January 2015, and we are now working to complete FEED for Q4 2015, which will be used as the basis for National Grid to tender for a Engineering, Procurement & Construction contractor for the construction and installation at the two sites.”

The major engineering works are being undertaken during the summer outage periods, to ensure that gas continues to reach customers during the critical winter months when demand for gas is highest.

With the push to complete the FEED to allow National Grid to tender for the next phase, “There is still a lot of work to be done this year,” says Adrian. “We are working hard to make these projects a success and to enhance our partnership with National Grid.”

 

Ends

 

Media Enquiries
Costain Communications Department
01628 842585
[email protected]