Caterpillar to provide generator sets for Asia gas pipeline to deliver 2 per cent of China’s energy consumptionCaterpillar to provide generator sets for Asia gas pipeline to deliver 2 per cent of China’s energy consumption
Caterpillar has been selected to provide power solutions for the Asian Gas Pipeline, a joint project between Kazakhstan and China. Caterpillar will provide 6x Cat G3516C gas generator sets and 2x C18 generator sets. Each G3516C generator set will provide the gas compression stations with 1,555 ekW (1,944 kVA) of rated power at 1,500 RPM. The C18 generator sets will be utilised as emergency backup power for the gas compression stations.
Once completed, the Asian Gas Pipeline will transport 30bn cubic meters of natural gas from Turkmenistan to China and 10bn cu m of natural gas from Kazakhstan to China per year, thereby delivering approximately two per cent of China’s energy consumption. The construction of the pipeline initially started in July 2008 and is due to be completed in late 2013 or early 2014. The total length of the 42-inch pipeline, which is carried in two lines, will exceed 6,500km: 200km in Turkmenistan, 510.5km in Uzbekistan, 1,300km in Kazakhstan and 4,500km in China.
Substantial project
The Asian Gas Pipeline is the region’s largest pipeline construction project and is a joint venture between KazMunayGas and China National Petroleum Corporation. The main contractors are KazStroyService and China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation. KazStroy Service will construct 2 gas compression stations and a gas metering station whilst China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation is to build three gas compression stations in Kazakhstan.
“We are delighted to provide Cat power solutions to support this substantial and notable pipeline project,” said Mikhail Potekhin, Caterpillar Global Petroleum CIS Sales Manager. “Our products have a stellar reputation in the oil and gas industry and will deliver nothing less than exceptional results for the Asian Gas Pipeline. Our global customers can count on consistent, reliable performance from the Cat power solutions.”
G3516C
The G3516C is the industry standard in land production power, designed to provide maximum annual operating hours, plus continuous power quality even with variable loads. A lean burn engine, the G3516C features an open-chamber engine design that operates on a low-pressure gas system of only 35 to 350 millibar pressure (0.5 to 5 psi) while delivering 41.8 per cent mechanical efficiency. Engine control is managed by the ADEM A3 system, which provides a single source for full engine control of air-to-fuel ratio, engine governing, ignition timing and detonation protection and system communications. Additionally, the G3516C features advanced island mode control, which monitors the generator’s electrical output to ensure high power quality and superior load acceptance.”
“The G3516C is the ideal engine for the land production power industry because it offers customers the greatest return on their investment,” said Jonathan Scholefield, Caterpillar Global Petroleum CIS & EAME Regional Sales Manager. “By lowering fuel consumption and increasing workforce efficiencies, the engine is able to increase the intervals between maintenance and lower overall operating costs.”
