Reverse Flow in Direction West-East
The “Reverse Flow in Direction West-East” project strengthened the transmission capacity and the infrastructure necessary for the reverse flow of gas, i.e. flow in the west-east direction. The project’s objective was to increase the capacity of the transmission system by 15 million m3 per day in the direction from the Czech-German border to the Czech-Slovak border, and to diversify gas transport flows for the Slovak Republic, Austria, Hungary and southern Germany (Bavaria).
The “Reverse Flow in Direction West-East” project consisted of six investment sub-actions, mainly involving adaptations to piping and technology at border transfer stations, selected compressor stations and junction points.
1. Adaptations at Border Transfer Station Hora Svaté Kateřiny
The objective of this sub-action was to increase the flexibility of the metering of the quantity of gas that may be transmitted from Germany in the direction from the Sayda compressor station to the Czech Republic. A new DN 300 orifice plate meter run and two DN 300 ball valves were newly installed. All the changes were made within the existing structure of the Border Transfer Station Hora Svaté Kateřiny. The project was completed in May 2011.
2. Adaptations of piping at Junction Point Hospozín
The new interconnection allowed the quantity of gas transported between the Border Transfer Station Hora Svaté Kateřiny and the Border Transfer Station Waidhaus to be increased by up to 15 million m3 per day (15 °C). This has enabled the full use of the capacity of the DN 1000 PN 73.5 pipeline from the Border Transfer Station Hora Svaté Kateřiny to the Junction Point Hospozín. An interconnection using a DN 700 pipe was built inside the existing structure of the Junction Point Hospozín. As a result, gas may also be transmitted via the Junction Point Hospozín in the direction from the Border Transfer Station Hora Svaté Kateřiny via a DN 1000 PN 73.5 pipeline, and may subsequently be transferred via a new interconnection line to a DN 900 PN 61 pipeline via which it continues in the direction of the Junction Point Rozvadov and the Border Transfer Station Waidhaus. The project was completed in March 2011.
3. Adaptation of piping at Compressor Station Kralice nad Oslavou
The purpose of this sub-action was to adapt the piping system at the Compressor Station Kralice to allow the use of all three gas pipelines for the transmission of natural gas in the west-east direction, and to increase the flow rate through the existing turbine from 22 million m3 per day to 44 million m3 per day (15 °C). This sub-action was completed in June 2011 and consisted of adapting piping, performing related construction work and modifying the equipment installed at the compressor station.
4. Adaptation of piping at Junction Point Malešovice
As in the case of the adaptations at the Junction Point Hospozín, this project, whose implementation was completed in December 2010, consisted of the construction of a new interconnection line. The new DN 1000 interconnection between the DN 1000 PN 73.5 (north) line and the DN 1400 PN 73.5 line at the Junction Point Malešovice allowed an increase in the daily transmission volume by 35 million m3 (15 °C) of natural gas in the direction from the Border Transfer Station Hora Svaté Kateřiny to the Junction Point Rozvadov and the Border Transfer Station Lanžhot, especially thanks to the use of the compression output of the Compressor Station Kouřim and the Compressor Station Kralice.
5. Adaptation of the piping system of hall I. of Compressor Station Břeclav enabling gas transmission from the Czech Republic to the Slovak Republic
The purpose of this sub-action, which was completed in 2010, was to adapt the piping in the first hall of the Compressor Station Břeclav to allow the usage of the compression output of the turbine units for gas transmission from the Czech Republic to Slovakia. A capacity of up to 25 million m3 per day (15 °C) is now available thanks to two-stage compression. The change of transmission direction concerned only the DN 800 PN 73.5 line; the original operating function of the other lines remained unchanged. The newly installed DN 700 interconnection pipeline is now fitted with DN 700 ball valves, allowing the selection of the transmission flow based on current needs.
6. Adaptation of Border Transfer Station Lanžhot for west-to-east transmission
This project focused on modifying the pipeline, filtering and metering systems at the Border Transfer Station Lanžhot. The implemented measures allowed the bi-directional use of existing meter runs in the first metering section, enabling gas transmission from the Czech Republic to Slovakia while compliance with all the relevant commercial metering and gas quality parameters will be ensured. The project was completed in May 2011.
