Branch
Report:
21st November 2007
Liquefied Natural Gas Pipeline -
Charlie Sirs, National Grid
Meeting held at the Glamorgan Arms,
Pontlliw, Near Swansea
The South Wales
Branch was pleased to welcome Tim Parry of the Quarry Products Association
to their November Meeting. Mr Parry gave a short address prior to the main
meeting on the services and information available from the QPA. He gave
members an introduction to the website and showed the links which can be
accessed, providing valuable information with video clips and toolbox
talks. Mr Parry encouraged members to make full use of these services,
including the use of rooms at the QPA offices, which are available for
meetings.
The main speaker was Mr Charlie Sirs,
Deputy Project Manager, National Grid, with a presentation on the Natural
Gas Pipeline from Milford Haven to Aberdulais, and the continuation of the
pipeline to Tirley in Gloucestershire. The project, together with the
world’s largest LNG importing terminal at South Hook, Pembrokeshire, were
required to provide 20% of Britain’s gas supplies. The initial format for
the pipeline was not accepted. The final permission was given in 2005, for
the original 120km and additional 90 km in the same timescale, with some
90 conditions. Many issues had to be taken into account and involved
several agencies, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Town and
Country Planning, and The Environment Agency, Wales.
This was the largest project ever
undertaken by National Grid, and the statistics speak for themselves. The
pipeline traverses the Brecon Beacons
National Park, makes 44 river
crossings, passes under 142 roads, one under the M4 motorway, and under 12
railway lines. The pipeline was imported into Milford Haven in 13500
individual lengths by 70 ships movements. In constructing the pipeline
there were 20,000 individual welds, equating to 400 miles of weld, with
remarkably few failures.
Some 700 machines were used on site with
2340 employed. 700,000 tonnes of imported local stone was used for
construction of temporary access roads, which was now being made available
to farmers free of charge – which did not please many members!!
The many environmental issues included
soil storage, rerouting to avoid and protect trees, the protection of fish
resources and nesting birds.
The Milford Haven to Aberdulais section
was commissioned on 5th November 2007, 100 minutes before the
contract deadline. The final section is to be commissioned by 5th
December 2007, and the pipeline will begin to transport gas by the end of
2008.
The Branch would like to thank Aggregate
Industries for their generous sponsorship of this meeting, held at The
Glamorgan Arms, Pontlliw.
Charlie
Sirs,
Deputy Project Manager, National Grid
