Latest news with #NationalGas
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Bilfinger UK wins contract to maintain the National Transmission System
Bilfinger UK has been awarded a significant contract with National Gas to ensure the continuous flow of gas through National Transmission System (NTS) pipelines. This project is expected to generate up to 100 employment opportunities, with Bilfinger UK serving as the principal designer and contractor at crucial sites. Strategically placed compressor stations along the NTS are essential for maintaining gas flow. These stations, equipped with multiple compressor units, pressurise and propel the gas through the network at speeds reaching 25mph (40km/h). The Control System Refurbishment project, backed by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), will see Bilfinger UK executing a comprehensive design and construction programme, including panel design and manufacturing, while also fulfilling the role of principal contractor to ensure top-tier safety and performance standards. Following a two-year engagement in front end engineering design works, Bilfinger UK will now embark on a subsequent three-year programme of works. The contract involves a two-stage approach, emphasising early contractor involvement. Bilfinger's Engineering, Automation and Production divisions will contribute their expertise to deliver holistic solutions. Bilfinger Engineering & Maintenance UK Gas Framework director Ben Hill said: 'This contract is a testament to our successful collaboration with National Gas and our readiness to take the project forward into detailed design, build and commissioning. By utilising resources from our Engineering, Automation and Production teams, we are well-equipped to deliver comprehensive solutions that meet the highest standards of safety and performance. 'Our partnership with National Gas reflects our commitment to innovation, efficiency and sustainability and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to meet the challenges of net zero.' The primary design team, stationed at the Bilfinger UK headquarters in Warrington, will collaborate with colleagues in Chesterfield, St. Helens and on-site. During the design phase, the team will comprise 40–50 individuals, expanding to as many as 100 during the peak construction period. In February 2024, Bilfinger secured a similar contract with INEOS FPS, spanning three-years, to provide maintenance services for the Forties Pipeline System (FPS) in Scotland, with an option to extend for two additional years. This agreement, effective from January 2024, continues a partnership spanning more than ten years, aiming to ensure the FPS' reliability and longevity, which is vital for North Sea oil and gas transportation and processing. The contract will support both onshore and offshore facilities within the 169km pipeline system. "Bilfinger UK wins contract to maintain the National Transmission System" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business News Wales
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business News Wales
Bilfinger UK Secures National Gas Contract in South Wales
Bilfinger UK has secured a contract with National Gas which will play a vital role in maintaining gas flow along the National Transmission System (NTS) in South Wales. The contract will create up to 100 jobs, with Bilfinger UK undertaking the role of Principal Designer and Principal Contractor at key locations. Compressor stations are strategically located at intervals along the NTS to maintain the flow of gas. Each station comprises two or more compressor units that pressurise and direct gas through the NTS, ensuring it moves at speeds of up to 25 mph (40 km/h). As part of the Control System Refurbishment Project, funded by Ofgem, Bilfinger will undertake a multi-disciplinary design and construction programme including the design and manufacture of panels, whilst also operating as Principal Contractor ensuring the highest standards of safety and performance. Bilfinger UK has been engaged in a further three-year programme of works, having already been involved in Front End Engineering Design (FEED) works for two years. This contract follows a two-stage approach, leveraging early contractor involvement (ECI). Delivering comprehensive solutions and utilising expertise from Bilfinger's Engineering, Automation, and Production divisions, the core design team, based at Bilfinger UK's Headquarters in Warrington, will be supported by colleagues in Chesterfield, St. Helens and on-site. The design phase will involve 40 to 50 people, with up to 100 personnel operating during the peak construction phase. Ben Hill, Gas Framework Director at Bilfinger Engineering & Maintenance UK, said: 'This contract is a testament to our successful collaboration with National Gas and our readiness to take the project forward into detailed design, build and commissioning. By utilising resources from our Engineering, Automation, and Production teams, we are well-equipped to deliver comprehensive solutions that meet the highest standards of safety and performance. 'Our partnership with National Gas reflects our commitment to innovation, efficiency, and sustainability and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to meet the challenges of net zero.' Darren Clement, Vice President, Engineering, Automation & Projects at Bilfinger UK, added: 'Our team's expertise in engineering, automation, and production will be pivotal in ensuring the success of the Control System Refurbishment Project. This contract not only highlights our capabilities but also our commitment to creating jobs and supporting the local economy as we contribute to the reliability and efficiency of the National Transmission System.' Oliver Wood, Programme Director at National Gas, said: 'Ensuring the continued safe and efficient flow of gas across the National Transmission System is critical to the UK's energy security. This investment reflects our commitment to upgrading essential infrastructure and embracing innovative technologies. We're proud that this project will not only strengthen the resilience of our network but also create high-quality jobs and opportunities across South Wales and beyond.'
Reuters
16-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
UK power grid could face lowest-ever demand this summer, operator says
LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) - Britain's power grid could experience its lowest-ever electricity demand this summer as renewables generation and cheap power imports from Europe keep the system well supplied, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) said on Wednesday. In its summer outlook covering April to October, NESO said the electricity transmission network could need to operate at its lowest-ever level at below 13.4 gigawatts (GW) at some points, less than in June 2020 when COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns suppressed electricity demand below normal summer levels. Peak demand is forecast to be 29.7 GW this summer. Already this year, solar power generation has been at record highs in March and April, reaching 12.68 GW, more than Britain's total import capacity from interconnectors with Europe. Britain is also expected to benefit from power imports from Europe this summer due to the healthy availability of conventional power stations, the report said. For the grid to operate at low demand levels, NESO has to ensure it receives a minimum continual flow of electricity for it to remain balanced. "NESO expects there to be sufficient supply to meet demand and operational reserve requirements at all times this summer," it said in the report. It added that it had tools in place to manage the network at times of low demand, such as Negative Reserve Active Power Margin notices, which are a way to tell Britain's power plants to turn down output to maintain grid stability. Separately, Britain's gas network operator National Gas said it expects there to be enough supply to meet UK gas demand this summer. Demand will mostly be met by UK domestic gas field supplies, along with imports from Norway and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments. In its summer outlook, it said it expects total gas demand to be 29 billion cubic metres (bcm) this summer compared with 28 bcm last summer. UK gas exports to Europe are forecast to increase as the continent enters the summer with low storage levels. National Gas added it will be undertaking maintenance across the transmission system this summer to ensure it is ready for the winter ahead, including work across 900 km of pipes and at all 21 gas compressor stations.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hundreds of jobs promised as part of gas upgrade
The industry minister said plans to build state-of-the art gas equipment in a city would create hundreds of jobs for local people. On a visit to Peterborough, Sarah Jones said the city would be "at the heart" of multimillion-pound plans to build new gas turbine compressor sets, which provide gas to power stations and businesses. National Gas, a listed company that transports gas, plans to install new equipment at its facility north-west of the city by 2030. Jon Butterworth, chief executive at the firm, said: "This investment will allow our world-class gas national transmission system to maintain Great Britain's energy security." It also plans to install new equipment at sites in St Fergus, Aberdeenshire and Wormington, Gloucestershire, at a total cost of £350m. Gas turbine compressor sets work by pressurising gas, which is then provided to power stations, industries and businesses using a network of 5,000 miles (8,000km) of pipes. The new compressors can mix natural gas with hydrogen, which is cleaner, and are meant to emit less carbon than older equipment. On a tour of Peterborough's compressor station, Jones said the current compressors being used were very old and needed replacing by skilled workers. "We're talking hundreds of jobs that will be secured here in Peterborough," she said. "I very much hope that people in Peterborough will be able to take advantage of this investment, these jobs, and the training and apprenticeships that will be delivered." Jones insisted that the facility on Lincoln Road, between Glinton and Werrington, would be a positive thing for residents. "I don't think there will be any increased traffic or any concerns with safety whatsoever," she said. "I can reassure people on that - National Gas absolutely know what they are doing." National Gas has confirmed 1,000 roles would be created across the three sites being given new equipment. Neil Boyce, a Peterborough First councillor for Glinton and Castor, said: "We have yet to see details of the local element of this proposed scheme, so we need to have a better idea of what effect it might have on the infrastructure of nearby villages." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. US-based Posh fan prepares to watch Wembley final Doctors honoured for pregnancy and baby loss care Closing vulnerable adults' hub 'will destroy them' National Gas
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK's last two fracking sites ordered to close
Britain's last fracking sites are to close after the regulator ordered the wells to be sealed over. Two wells at the Preston New Road site near Blackpool will be filled with concrete and abandoned, eight years after owners first produced shale gas at the site. Cuadrilla, which owns the site, said it would start work on plugging the two exploration wells with cement next month in a process expected to last six weeks. The company has argued that shale gas from the wells could help the UK's energy independence at a time when the country faces strong competition for international resources and has committed to ending oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. Analysis by Cuadrilla of National Gas data has found that the UK's gas stockpiles are down more than a third on last year's level. 'The UK is heavily reliant on natural gas to keep the lights on, to heat our homes and to provide cost effective energy to British industry,' said Francis Egan, the ceo of Cuadrilla. 'Keeping these wells open doesn't cost taxpayers a penny, but once they are concreted over then we lose easy access to supplies of shale gas that could be used for decades to come.' Fracking is the process of injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into cracks between rocks in order to release the trapped gas. Cuadrilla began drilling at the Lancashire site in 2017, producing the first shale gas the following year, but work was halted over safety concerns. A moratorium was placed on fracking in 2019 after a seismic event of magnitude 2.9 during operations at the site and a subsequent investigation, which found that it was not possible to accurately predict the probability or magnitude of earthquakes. The ban was briefly lifted by Liz Truss, and an order for Cuadrilla's site to be decommissioned in 2022 was revoked after the energy crisis provoked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Later deadlines imposed by the North Sea Transition Authority, the industry regulator, at the end of last year, were passed and a new deadline of June 30 2025 was agreed in December. Critics have pointed out that any shale gas produced in the UK would be sold on the international market. Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, said the decision to decommission the Preston New Road site was 'gross negligence, both financial and for energy security'. 'We have hundreds of billions of pounds of taxpayer-owned shale gas we should be using,' he said. 'We should adopt Trump's slogan: 'drill baby drill'.' Fracking advocates have struggled to win support among the general public, with backing for the industry at just 25 per cent in the Government's public attitudes tracker in 2022. The same tracker last year found that over half of people disagreed with the UK ramping up production of its own oil and gas. Ami McCarthy, the head of politics at Greenpeace UK, said: 'The best way to increase the UK's energy security and reduce risks related to gas storage supplies is to get off gas. 'A fully renewable energy system, with sufficient storage, wouldn't encounter these issues and, more importantly, it would cut emissions helping to tackle the climate crisis. 'This final throw of the dice from Cuadrilla is almost laughable, but the joke's over and it's time for the shale gas company to pack up and frack off for good.' Lord Mackinlay, the chairman of the Net Zero Scrutiny Group, said: 'Back in 2022, I asked the previous Conservative government not to commit the madness of concreting up a promising and valuable shale gas site. 'Thankfully, they listened, but now Labour appears willing to close off an incredible opportunity to secure home-grown energy supplies. It seems crazy to salt the earth in this needless and reckless way.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
