Modernization of the Equipment of a Head Compressor Station

The Waidhaus compressor station in Germany is a key compressor station for the supply of Natural Gas from Russia into the German and the European market. The required flexibility, together with the goal of a small environmental footprint, has led to some unique, but widely applicable solutions. Since this head compressor station of the MEGAL pipeline system is of highest importance for the European gas supply, requirements for high availability and reliability of the equipment are significant. The paper consists of two parts: In the first part it describes the challenges of installing new equipment in an existing compressor station, details the characteristics of the installed equipment, and, in particular, discusses the steps that have been taken to assure the required high availability, high reliability, and high flexibility. In the second part, the acceptance test is described, taking into account site specific limitations, and how a highly accurate site test can be executed. The tested unit was accepted based on the acceptance test described. The methodology is useful for the conduct and execution of site performance tests. The paper thus provides insight into the decision making, installation, and acceptance process for the specific situation of a strategically important brownfield compressor station.