Explainer-Nord Stream turbine tension puts focus on gas pipeline parts

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Stress over big generators that Moscow blames for the discount of flows by way of the Nord Stream 1 gasoline pipeline has put the concentrate on the tools it must function.

The essential half is SGT-A65 (Trent 60), a Siemens Vitality turbine that’s 12 metres lengthy, weighs 20 tonnes, and must be transported again to Gazprom’s Nord Stream Portovaya compressor station following upkeep in July.

The St. Petersburg-based firm has mentioned Canadian, EU and UK sanctions make supply of a Siemens turbine to the Portovaya compressor station unattainable.

And on Friday, Russia scrapped a Saturday deadline to renew gasoline flows by way of Nord Stream 1 after saying it had found a fault throughout upkeep, deepening Europe’s difficulties in securing gasoline for winter.

Gazprom Chief Government Alexei Miller mentioned on Wednesday that sanctions meant Siemens Vitality couldn’t perform common upkeep.

Siemens Vitality, which usually providers Nord Stream 1 generators, mentioned it was not concerned in upkeep work now being performed by Gazprom. It has additionally mentioned it was prepared to assist if wanted and has mentioned upkeep was excluded from sanctions.

Gazprom, the state-controlled agency with a monopoly on Russian gasoline exports by way of pipeline, mentioned it might now not present a timeframe for restarting deliveries after discovering an oil leak that meant a turbine couldn’t run safely

Gazprom had beforehand introduced a three-day shutdown from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 as a result of the one remaining gasoline compressor operating at Portovaya required upkeep.

It had already stopped gasoline provides by way of the route for 10 days for annual upkeep final month, resuming the flows at decrease than regular ranges on July 21.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

President Vladimir Putin says the West has unleashed an financial conflict geared toward destroying Russia and its financial system, and has promised to promote Russia’s huge power assets to nations in Asia, reminiscent of China, if European prospects don’t want them.

Gazprom has decreased flows by Nord Stream 1, the one largest pipeline carrying Russian gasoline to Germany, to twenty% of capability due to what it describes as defective tools, notably the SGT-A65 turbine whose return has been delayed.

Russia has mentioned that the one one SGT-A65 gasoline pumping unit – one in all six usually accessible on the station – had been operational earlier than it shut Nord Stream for upkeep on Wednesday.

Germany has mentioned the delayed turbine, which has been stranded after upkeep in Canada, is a pretext, and that Moscow is utilizing gasoline as a political weapon. “They do not even have the heart to say ‘we’re in an financial conflict with you’,” German Economic system Minister Robert Habeck mentioned final month.

Gazprom has additionally halted one other Siemens Vitality gasoline turbine on the station, citing routine upkeep and the “technical situation” of the engine. At the moment, just one turbine is in operation.

TURBINES AND COMPRESSORS

Eight industrial aeroderivative gasoline generators had been initially manufactured by Rolls-Royce for the Portovaya station. Rolls-Royce’s gasoline turbine-making operations had been purchased by Siemens Vitality in 2014.

These generators are wanted to energy driving centrifugal compressors, which elevate stress by condensing gasoline volumes to make sure clean transport of the gasoline.

Rystad Vitality analyst Lu Ming Pang mentioned the models require upkeep after 34 months of operation.

“Like the upkeep from 12 July to 21 July, market individuals are cautious of the likelihood that the flows could not return on schedule, if in any respect,” he mentioned.

Based on Gazprom, six of the gasoline pumping models at Portovaya have a capability of 52 megawatts (MW) every, whereas two models have a capability of 27 MW every.

As well as, there are 4 spare generators on web site to make sure the station retains pumping if some tools has to depart the positioning for upkeep, which often occurs each two-to-three years, an individual aware of the matter mentioned.

Two of the six massive models could keep idle with out lowering the station’s capability, a supply aware of how the station operates mentioned.

Gazprom has not replied to questions on Nord Stream 1 operations.

WHAT’S PORTOVAYA?

The Portovaya compressor station is positioned close to the Russian metropolis of Vyborg on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, the place the Nord Stream 1 gasoline pipeline enters the Baltic Sea.

The station pumps pure gasoline throughout the Baltic Sea by way of Nord Stream 1’s 1,224 km (760 mile) undersea path to the place it makes landfall in Germany’s Greifswald. Gazprom calls Portovaya the world’s largest compressor station.

Nord Stream 1 has a nameplate capability of 55 billion cubic metres (bcm) per yr. Nonetheless, the pipeline pumped greater than 59 bcm in 2020 and 2021 after measures had been taken to lift capability, representing greater than a 3rd of Russia’s whole gasoline provide to the European Union.

Portovaya reached a day by day file of just about 177 million cubic metres per day in 2020.

RUSSIAN TURBINES

Russia produces generators with a most capability of 25 MW.

Engineering firm Energy Machines is creating two kinds of turbine with capacities of 65 MW and 170 MW every, it mentioned.

The 65 MW turbine is anticipated to begin working in testing mode solely in 2024, and the opposite later in 2022 or in 2023.

Russian Trade and Commerce Minister Denis Manturov mentioned in a speech final month in parliament that Russia was rushing up trials of the big generators “within the pursuits of the Russian energy sector”.

(Reporting by Reuters; Enhancing by Alexander Smith)