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Interconnector Bacton Terminal
Bacton terminal at sunset
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BACTON TERMINAL

LOCATION

Bacton is one of the largest gas terminal complexes in the UK. Gas lands onshore at the three producer terminals from the Southern North Sea and from the Shearwater Elgin Area Line (SEAL) and is then distributed to UK customers via the National Grid terminal, or to Belgium via the Interconnector system. When in reverse flow mode, the Interconnector Bacton Terminal is used to import gas into the UK.


OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

The 24-hour operation of the Interconnector is managed from the Control Room at the Bacton Terminal. Here the duty Senior Shift Engineer receives Gas Flow Notices from Commercial Operations advising or revising the energy flow profile throughout the gas day. The Senior Shift Engineer controls the compressors at either Bacton or Zeebrugge to achieve the required flows with optimum efficiency.

The Senior Shift Engineer also monitors gas quality and plant availability and alerts Commercial Operations of any anomalies or operating constraints.

Maintenance is carried out by a team of experienced engineers and technicians, supported when necessary by specialist contractors.

FACILITIES

The original Interconnector Bacton facilities were designed and constructed by Kvaerner John Brown to include:

  • Four compressor packages, each comprising a LM2500+ gas generator and two stage power turbine driving a Thermodyn RD5-6 centrifugal compressor.
  • Aftercoolers incorporating electrically driven fans.
  • A 45 m vent stack for terminal depressurisation.
  • 11 kV electrical supplies with standby generator.
  • Pig launcher and receiver to facilitate cleaning and inspection of the pipeline.
  • Control systems including metering, flow control and pipeline monitoring.
  • 50mm filter with standby.

The Bacton terminal has been upgraded to enable enhanced reverse flows as part of the Zeebrugge Compression Project. The new facilities, designed by E.ON Engineering, comprise four trains to control the pressure and temperature of the incoming gas ready for export to the National Grid system.

Each train includes a control valve to reduce the pressure and a shell and tube heat exchanger to raise the temperature of the gas.

DIRECT ACCESS CONNECTION

At the Bacton Terminal, Interconnector Shippers have the option of supplying gas into the Interconnector from the National Grid network, or directly from the SILK connection (SEAL-Interconnector Link). Whereas gas may flow in either direction between the Interconnector and National Grid network, the SILK connection is only for flow into the Interconnector.

The SEAL Pipeline connects the Shearwater and Elgin-Franklin fields in the Northern North Sea with the Shell operated terminal at Bacton. At 474km, the SEAL pipeline is the longest on the UK continental shelf.



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