KazTransGas companies group increases the energy efficiency and ecological sustainability

The annual report states in detail on success in this line of activity.

In Kazakhstan in the process of gas transportation via main and distribution system the main attentions is paid to the issues of industrial safety and environment protection. The sector specialists mention that the increase of industrial safety level and ecological compatibility of production are two elements of one unit.

The company is interested both in achieving the production results and economic efficiency and in ensuring the environmental safety of production facilities.

The last decade became the real breakthrough for the Kazakhstan gas sector. During this period, the new main gas pipelines Kazakhstan-China and Beineu-Bozoy-Shymkent have been constructed which provide the country with reliable gas supply of the domestic consumers, as well as the new route for export of domestic gas and its transit from other Central Asia countries. Since the volumes of gas transportation are steadily on the rise, the new objectives in the sphere of ensuring the industrial safety and reducing the impact on environment are set towards the companies group. According to KTG annual report following the results of 2020, the company actually succeeded in getting ahead in this direction.

Energy saving and increase of energy efficiency

Actually, since the beginning of its activity KTG works towards increasing the energy efficiency on its production facilities both in the sphere of transportation and gas recovery, storage and distribution.

The key role in this process is played by Intergas Central Asia JSC (ICA) which is responsible for gas storage and its immediate transportation via main gas pipelines with the total length of 19145 km. In order to pump the gas via them, the company requires the great amount of energy, therefore any technical solutions capable to increase the energy efficiency of production are being actively implemented in ICA.

For example, on the field of Amangeldy Gas and on Beineu compressor station of Aktau MGPM, ICA has implemented the automatic reactive power compensation system that allowed decreasing the load on transformers and reducing the expenses for electric energy.

For the same purpose, the operation of gas turbine units with electric gas turbine actuator has been optimized, the power supply diagrams on the operation mode of compressor stations have been improved, including switching off of backup supply power transformers of turbine compressor workshops.

Considering the load on units and assemblies of compressor stations, ICA regularly makes their scheduled repair. In particular, the overhaul repair of gas turbine units at Makat CS and Taiman CS of Atyrau MGPM has been performed in the past year. Besides, during 2020 ICA has replaced 18 outdated cathodic protection stations on the linear part of main gas pipelines.

In order to reduce the consumption of fuel and power resources (FPR), on one side ICA aspires to increase the energy saving level, on the other side – to increase the share of energy generated due to operation of the heat pumps, using the solar panels and thermal energy generators, i.e. renewable energy.

In particular, at the present time the gas turbine units with combustion system and low level of DLE emissions; heat pumps of “Waterkotte” geothermal type; monocrystal solar panels; thermal energy generators (Closed cycle vapor turbogenerator) and

block-packaged power stations (Capstone) operating in free-running mode are applied in the company, as well as the complex utility metering automatic system (CUMAS).

It is largely due to these measures, the volume of fuel and power resources (FPR) consumption in total in KTG companies group was by 36,9% less in 2020 than in 2019.

Besides, the implementation of actions aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of production (modernization), implementation of innovative projects, maximum implementation of energy saving potential in all lines of activity positively affect the reducing of greenhouse gases emissions and man-caused impact on the environment.

The focus on ecology

The very careful attention is paid on reducing the emission into the atmosphere in ICA. In order to minimize their volume, today the company updates the gas distribution systems, keeps struggling with leaks and implements the new technologies on the gas turbine stations.

For example, the control, diagnostics and monitoring of ICA facilities are being exercised on a permanent basis. In practice such inspection may be performed by different methods: by air inspection, motor vehicle inspection or foot-mobile inspection. For detection of leakages, ICA uses the remote laser gas surveyors, which are installed both on MI-8 helicopters and offroaders which carry out the ground patrolling of gas pipelines. However, the combining of all these monitoring options has the highest results, that allows detecting even the small leakages.

The operation of compressor stations is also configured to minimization of hazardous emissions. Thus, within Beineu-Bozoy-Shymkent MGP throughput capacity expansion project, the compressor stations Ustyurt, Aral, Korkyt Ata and Turkestan have been constructed. The new stations are equipped with the most advanced gas turbine units and auxiliary equipment.

Titan 130 gas turbine engines are equipped with SoLoNox technology for reducing the environment pollution, based on dry low emission according to the poor premixture combustion technology. This progressive combustion system ensures the most saving and ecologically clean method of significant emissions reduction, since at that the water is not consumed and the use of complicated expensive additional equipment is not required for reduction of emissions in order to provide the low level of NOx and CO emissions.

Even during the repair of gas pipelines, ICA aims at decreasing the volume of bled-off gas by its bypassing to the adjoining gas pipeline sections, cutting off of repair section and gas blowdown by the consumers, as well as involved mobile gas turbine units for decreasing the natural gas pressure in the main gas pipelines section.

Emphasis on security

Ecology and security are the absolute priorities in the production activity of ICA. According to Saken Yessenboltayev, Director of Industrial Safety, Occupational Health and Environment Department of Intergas Central Asia JSC, the very high standards both in the sphere of environmental protection and in the sphere of industrial safety are valid in the company.

“As you know our company is recognized as the leader in Kazakhstan for a second consecutive year in the rating of ecological transparency of oil-and-gas companies in the CIS according to World Wide Fund for Nature. This is really high assessment and ICA intends to keep progressing in this direction”, – he says.

The integrated management system built on the international and local standards helps ICA to build its work in accordance with the best world practices. Alongside the implemented practice of annual goals setting in the sphere of environmental protection, this system allows controlling the dynamics of any changes in this sphere.

“For ICA the key tasks are provision with ecological safety during production activity, as well as safety of employees and residents. This two directions are inextricably connected, these are two elements of one unit. In this respect, the company acts systematically, having implemented the whole range of actions and applying the latest technologies. And, as long as we manage to work without accidents, get high evaluations on the part of international organizations, that means that we do everything in right way” – S. Yessenboltayev noted.

article source – https://liter.kz/141746-2/