Today, 31 October 2019, the ceremony marking the inauguration of the investment objective – BRUA Phase 1 gas compressor station was held in the presence of the President of Romania, Mr Klaus Iohannis, and other Romanian high officials, European officials, ambassadors and diplomats, but also specialists from the energy sector, invited to the event by the Director – General of SNTGN Transgaz SA, Mr Ion Sterian, at Podișor, in Giurgiu County.

Podișor Gas Compressor Station is the second BRUA Phase 1 investment objective the national gas transmission system operator inaugurates within one month, following the Jupa Compressor Station inauguration at the end of September.

On this occasion, the President of Romania awarded the company Transgaz SA the `Industrial and Commercial Merit` in the rank of Commander, as an appreciation of the important place the company has for the national energy system and its central role in ensuring the energy security of our country.

The President of Romania, Mr Klaus Iohannis, present at the inauguration of the Podișor Gas Compressor Station, stated:

`I am pleased to decorate Transgaz today for its achievements obtained not only now, but over the years, in the development of the energy sector in our country, both at the national level and as part of the regional gas transmission network.

Transgaz has embarked on the regional development road and I invite each of you, as prominent representatives of our energy industry, to follow their example and think to strategies to achieve results as valuable as theirs!

Podișor Compressor Station we are inaugurating today is not only an important component of the BRUA Project and an evident success of Transgaz, but also a reference for the natural gas transmission from this region.

I would also like to convey to you all a message of support – you are on the right track and I am convinced that the results of your work will contribute substantially to the achievement of Romania’s goal of becoming a real regional energy hub, not a hub only in plans or on beautifully coloured map.

Access to new gas sources and interconnection with Central and Eastern European markets places the BRUA Project at the heart of the efforts on energy security and the integration of gas markets in our region.

I believe that the actual steps taken by Transgaz by completing two compressor stations, two out of three, as well as through the subsequent agreements to be concluded, will bring Romania closer to the status of credible partner involved in the increasing energy security across the region.

Through your efforts, as specialists and people dedicated to the energy sector, I expect that, after an investment of nearly 500 million euro, the BRUA Project places our country at the centre of the newest and most important regional gas transmission networks.

It is indisputable the fact that Romania enjoys definite advantages in the energy field.

The skilled human resource, the geostrategic position, the diversified energy mix, the important production of natural gas and a strong energy independence ensure that Romania has genuine prerequisites for a strategic path in the future. (…)

It is essential to focus our attention towards the future, to what a normal Romania can bring us.

First, the situation of the vulnerable consumer needs to be quickly dealt with in order to support and protect it.

We must fight against energy poverty by extending the gas transmission infrastructure and here your role is a decisive one.

We must ensure that, all of the Romanian citizens, irrespective of where they live, in urban or rural areas, in Bucharest, Botoşani, or Bolintin, enjoy the natural gas benefits through the development of the infrastructure.

We have the opportunity, as a country, to be at the heart of the regional transmission network and to become an important regional player in the field of energy.

Obviously, such an ambitious wish is not self-fulfilling. That is why political people, government policymakers, who will undertake their responsibilities within a few days, as well as the actors involved in the energy sector must work together to achieve the essential objectives of energy security and independence.

In this respect, together with you, representatives and employees of the energy sector alike, we must set the objective of strengthening the regional role of the Romanian energy industry and constantly think from the perspective of a position relevant in the current regional dynamics.

I congratulate you, Mr Sterian, and all those who work in Transgaz, and I wish you a lot of success, and I take your promises of completion of the works we discussed – not only BRUA, but also the Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline and others, by the proposed terms, for granted and assign them for monitoring to the appointed Prime Minister, who certainly, along with the new team, will make things move completely differently.

And, Prime Minister, I expect you to take charge of these matters from the first day and to start developing Romania as it should and as it can be done, not as it was done, unfortunately, over the last years(…).`

The Director – General of SNTGN Trangaz SA, Mr Ion STERIAN, stated:

`Transgaz is dedicated to its strategic mission to develop energy infrastructure projects enabling diversification of gas supply sources, ensuring the energy security of the country and energy solidarity, creating the necessary conditions for the sustainable economic development of our country and the whole region. Podișor Gas Compressor Station is one of the central nodes of the National Gas Transmission System.

In fact, today we are witnessing a triple inauguration: Podișor Gas Compressor Station; approximately 82 kilometres of pipeline built in the Corbu-Podișor direction and the reclassification of another 42 kilometres of pipeline in the Podișor-Giurgiu direction, upgraded and ensuring a firm transmission capacity of 0.75 billion cubic metres per year, starting with 1 November 2019, through the Giurgiu-Ruse interconnector, by reverse flow.

At the same time, after the inauguration of the Jupa Gas Compressor Station on 30 September, I would like to announce that we have also completed the approximately 73 kilometres of pipeline between Jupa and Recaş, which ensures a firm transmission capacity of 0.75 billion cubic metres per year from Romania to Hungary, by reverse flow.

The BRUA gas pipeline is not just a highway. BRUA will be part of the National Gas Transmission System, an energy security factor and a national economic development engine. The BRUA Phase 1 strategic project aims to diversify gas supply sources and facilitate transmission of gas from the Caspian region to Central and Eastern European markets. Gas will reach Europe through TAP from the LNG terminals in northern Greece, from Revithoussa and Alexandropolis, and further through the vertical corridor Greece-Bulgaria-Romania, providing bidirectional transmission capacities of 1.5 billion cubic meters per year in/from Bulgaria and 1.75 billion cubic meters per year in/from Hungary.

Transgaz also carries out other investment projects particularly important for Romania and the region, such as the Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline, as well as developments of the National Transmission System, which will allow the connection of all local communities to the gas network.

SNTGN Transgaz managed and continues to manage with responsibility and effectiveness the steps needed for the implementation of BRUA-Phase 1, acting as in the case of all of the other investment projects undertaken, with outstanding success. I congratulate the employees of Transgaz, the constructors and all those who involved in achieving this strategic goal for Romania and Europe. For all developed projects, Transgaz applies the performance management system focused on good corporate governance practices. We are a responsible company, a company of the future. We know, we want, and we can take action to contribute to the transformation of our country into a regional energy stability factor.`

Information regarding BRUA and Podișor Gas Compressor Station

Podișor Gas Compressor Station is part of BRUA Phase 1, which is in the list or European PCIs (PCI- 7.1.5) and is developed in the context of the diversification of gas supply sources in the EU countries. The objective of the BRUA Project is to ensure access to new gas sources and to facilitate the transmission of Caspian gas to Central and Eastern European markets. The project provides bidirectional transmission capacities of 1.5 billion cubic metres per year in/from Bulgaria, and 4.4 billion cubic metres per year in/from Hungary.

The BRUA-Phase I consists in achieving the following objectives:

• 1 32” x 63 bar 479 km Podişor – Recaş pipeline
• 3 gas compressor stations (CS Podișor, CS Bibești and CS Jupa) each with two compressors (one operational and one backup), with the possibility to ensure bidirectional gas flow.

Podișor Gas Compressor Station is a technological installation interconnected with the following main gas pipelines: DN32” CS Podișor – CS Bibesti, DN 20” CS Podișor – Giurgiu, DN40” Tuzla – CS Podișor.

The role of the Podișor Gas Compressor Station is to compress gas from the main pipelines to which it is connected, in order to compensate for the pressure losses which are inherent in the gas transmission process. The station is bidirectional – it can compress gas from Giurgiu or Tuzla to Bibeşti and from Bibeşti or Tuzla to Giurgiu.

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SPECIFUC PARAMETERS

STC Podisor includes two gas compressor units (one in operation and one backup) made by SOLAR TURBINES USA with 4.6 MW/piece, each of them consisting in:

• a SOLAR C40 centrifugal compressor for increasing gas pressure for transmission.
• a SOLAR CENTAUR 50 gas turbine, which is the driver of the centrifugal compressor.

INVESTMENT VALUE

The estimated value of the Podișor Gas Compressor Station works amounts to 104.5 million lei.

The value of the two compressor units installed at the Podișor Gas Compressor Station is of 12.6 million euro;

INVESTMENT EXECUTION

The works related to the compressor stations are carried out by the Association INSPET SA (LIDER)

– PETROCONST SA – MOLDOCOR SA – HABAU PPS PIPELINE SYSTEMS SRL – IRIGC IMPEX SRL – SUTECH SRL – TIAB SA – ROCONSULT TECH SRL, under Contract number 333/23.03.2018.

The works commencement order was issued on 16 April 2018.

Average number of workers on site: 100/Maximum number of workers on site: 209

INVESTMENT IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS

In general, the role of compressor stations in natural gas transmission systems is to ensure the delivery of the gas quantities contracted during peak consumption periods.

The BRUA Project, supported by the European Commission, is a priority being particularly important both for Romania’s energy security and independence and for integrating European gas markets.

The implementation of the BRUA Phase 1 infrastructure will raise Romania’s energy security level by ensuring, in perspective, access to diversified sources and routes for gas supply and interconnection to the regional and European energy market.

The achievement of this infrastructure will open up new opportunities for the involvement of suppliers of energy equipment and services in Romania and the rest of Europe and will ensure the creation of new jobs for execution and exploitation works on the territory of our country.

Source: www.bvb.ro, October 31st