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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.
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.
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.
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.
 The
Interconnector system Enhancement
project
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