Management Committee considers proposals on new efficient gas pumping equipment
RELEASE
Release
The Gazprom Management Committee addressed issues related to the organizational arrangements aimed at meeting the Company’s needs in novel gas transmission equipment and considered proposals on the improvement of innovative approaches to developing promising gas pumping equipment.
The Management Committee entrusted the Company’s core business units with devising a sci-tech policy with regard to gas pumping equipment and a work program for its implementation.
Background
Gas transmission is the most capital and energy intensive sector of Gazprom’s business due to a considerable capacity and length of the gas transmission system.
At present, 4,177 gas pumping units with a total capacity of nearly 46.1 thousand MW are in operation at Gazprom’s 276 compressor stations. Gas pumping units are mainly gas turbine driven (80 per cent) as well as electrically and piston driven (nearly 16 and 4 per cent respectively).
Under the ongoing Comprehensive Program for the reconstruction and technical re-equipment of gas transportation facilities and UGS compressor stations over 2007 to 2010, Gazprom’s overall needs in gas compressor equipment so as to develop, reconstruct and re-equip various technological facilities are estimated at 2 thousand MW per annum.
Over fifteen years Gazprom has been actively cooperating with national research institutes and machine-building companies and investing in joint activities and R&D to develop state-of-the-art gas pumping equipment. These efforts enabled the Company not only to satisfy its needs in the said equipment, but also to support the development of prominent science and production organizations during the period of economic reforms.
At present, Gazprom is consistent in implementing the principle of switching to the market relations with equipment producers. At the same time, considering the strategic significance of gas transmission in Gazprom’s business, the Company is interested in getting involved in the development of innovative gas pumping equipment through advanced mechanisms of interaction with developers and producers. This will make it possible both to identify required equipment specifications and to manage its development with the view to receiving products of needed quality pursuant to the Company’s mid- and long-term development projections.
Efficient implementation of novel techniques in the gas pumping equipment area requires applying project management methods, including with the use of the Venture Fund for Innovative Technologies.