Rolls-Royce Powers New PL to Bring Gas to Beijing

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has won a contract from PetroChina to provide gas turbine compressor systems for a new natural gas pipeline. The new line will further expand the Chinese gas supply network bringing gas from Western China to Beijing.

The new order brings the total number of units supplied by Rolls-Royce to PetroChina for pipeline service to 28. Already powering Lines 1 and 2 of China’s West East Pipeline (WEPP) Rolls-Royce will now supply three RB211 units for the third Shaanxi-Beijing Gas Pipeline Project.

The three RB211-powered gas compressor packages will be installed in one compressor station building in Yulin, Shaanxi Province, which is the first station of the pipeline. When completed, the new gas pipeline will have a flow capacity of 15.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year.

Tony Ruegger, Rolls-Royce, Executive Vice-President - Oil & Gas, said: “We are pleased that PetroChina have once again chosen Rolls-Royce technology as they expand their pipeline network. The RB211, which will now be installed across three major gas pipelines in China, has proven its effectiveness and efficiency and we look forward to continuing to expand our presence in this important market.”

Gas compressor stations are an important element in long distance gas pipelines ensuring gas from the production fields reaches the end user, in this case homes and businesses in Beijing, by increasing the pressure and therefore the flow. The use of gas in the capital will also help eliminate the need to burn coal previously used to provide heating.

The 820 km pipeline will cross three provinces before ending in Beijing. Gas will be transported from supplies in Turkmenistan via the Central Asia and WEPP Line 2 pipelines and from China’s Tarim Basin via WEPP Line 1. Rolls-Royce RB211’s have exceeded 350,000 hours of operation on pipelines in China.