Ukrtransgas announces the beginning of the reconstruction on the BAR compressor station
7 February 2018, Bar. Ukrtransgas has announced the launch of the active phase of reconstruction on the Bar compressor station in Vinnytsia region. The station located on “Soyuz” gas pipeline is the largest investment project aimed to upgrade the gas transportation system of Ukraine.
The worth of reconstruction is over 79 million euros, where the 53.6 million euros a loan provided by the German Deutsche Bank AG, and about 26 million euros is the Ukrtransgaz own funds.
The compressor station located on the “Soyuz” (Union) gas pipeline operates since 1979. Today it is the strategic hub responsible for natural gas transit from the Russian Federation to European Union as well as the gas transportation for the Ukrainian consumer’s needs. The reconstruction would increase both the efficiency of the station and the reliability of the Ukrainian GTS operations in general. In particular, the energy conversion efficiency will grow from 25% up to 36%, natural gas loses during the transportation will be reduced, and the green gas emissions will comply the EU environmental standards.
Project’s general contractor is the leading German engineering company Ferrostaal Industrieanlagen GmbH. In September 2017, Ukrtransgas started to supply and make customs clearance of the basic equipment and gas turbine engines for the reconstruction.
CEO of Naftogaz Andriy Kobolyev and Deputy President of Ukrtransgas announced the active phase of the project, in particular construction and testing of the equipment at the venue on Wednesday February, 7th.
Andriy Kobolyev emphasized that the reconstruction project at the "Bar" station is the pilot project. During the year, there is a plan to upgrade another five compressor stations in partnership with Ukrainian and international partners. "To stay competitive, we need to create the right alliances and involve the competitive partners. The old ideology “it’s no skin off my nose" has proven its failure to exist, which is why we strive for cooperation with international partners. We believe this will allow maintaining and even extending existing business relations, as well as creating new jobs in Ukraine".
Ernst Reichel, the German Ambassador to Ukraine, expressed the support of the German government for further integration of the Ukrainian GTS into the European community and extending the cooperation with the European GTS operators: "This energy cooperation project has the strategic meaning to our two countries. And, I hope that this pilot project will intensify our cooperation in the future".
The reconstruction plan includes replacing of two existing gas-pumping units GTK-10I (№1, 2) with the modern PGT-25-DLE made by General Electric with higher technical, efficiency and environmental indicators. The fuel gas preparation unit will also be upgraded as well as the new air regeneration system. There are also some other technological improvements that will increase the reliability and efficiency of the entire system.
Myroslav Hymko, Deputy President of Ukrtransgas also added that “as a GTS operator we see ourselves as a part of a whole European gas system. “Bar” station is one of the largest and most powerful objects; the modernization will make it even more efficient and environmentally friendly. We are pleased to announce that we have finished the documental process and approval stage, and ready to start the reconstruction works which is expected to last about 18 months”.
