To introduce new technological, methodological and plant solutions, in order to increase the reliability of the plants and of the network, and therefore the quality of service, we rely on our technicians who, through careful monitoring of the best available technologies, are continually searching for improvements.
In this regard, as well as following the benchmarking activity with the objective of identifying and comparing, with other European gas transmission companies, the principal technical-economic indicators, we also participate in technical associations and workgroups at national and international level.
In GERG, “Groupe Européen de Recherches Gazières” (www.gerg.eu), a group comprising the most important European gas companies, we have continued to hold the presidency of the “Transmission & Storage” Programme Committee and we have coordinated the setting up of new projects to check and monitor pipelines, verify and assess the structural integrity of the network, and transfer technologies from other business sectors to the gas transmission processes. For example, in the transmission sector we will use laboratory tests to assess the performance of new families of coverings for buried pipelines, comparing them with the performance levels of the solutions commonly adopted to date. Another area of interest is the experimental verification of the “weldability” of the types of steel used for pipelines using the innovative “friction stir welding” process. Under the aegis of GERG, we have completed a project (coordinated by Italgas) in the odorization of natural gas, which saw the participation of Europe’s biggest gas distribution companies and also a large number of makers of odorization substances. The primary purpose is to make possible an exchange of information, obtained using various different methods of assessment of the intensity of the odour, relative to the olfactory properties of the odorizing agents. The result of this project was presented to Technical Committee TC 193 of the ISO for inclusion in the ISO series of standards.
In EPRG, “European Pipeline Research Group” (www.eprg.net), a research group made up of European gas companies, steelworks and pipemakers, we are participating in research projects to improve the integrity of the pipelines for gas transmission, with particular attention to aspects of structure, metallurgy and corrosion. We are working to offer new models for assessing the quality of welds in high-grade steel (steel with superior resistance levels than that currently in use) and for assessing the mechanical resistance of damaged pipelines under the effect of internal pressure. We have also started up an experimental analysis of environmental effects on the residual mechanical resistance of damaged pipelines.
In the distribution sector, we have acquired a latest-generation model of portable laser pointer, ATEX-certified, for operating in potentially hazardous environments. The pointer detects gas dispersion from pipelines or plants above ground at a distance. Field experimentation has shown good results, to the extent that we are now considering introducing the equipment to the company.
Also in the distribution sector, work has continued on a number of projects on metering:
- a study of large-calibre ultrasound meters for installation on REMI (regulation and measurement) plants;
- turning to domestic meters, a testing campaign has been started on an ultrasound meter that offers several advantages over traditional meters.
The meter has an automatic interception system in the event of major earthquakes, excess flow and/or inversion of flow of the gas, or forced entry;
- following resolution no. 155/2008 of the Italian Electricity and Gas Authority, the “Gas Meter Remote Reading” project has been started to test remote reading technologies for G4 and G6 calibre meters currently available on the market. After an initial phase of market investigation, a number of different solutions have been selected which use different technologies (radio-frequency and GSM/GPRS) and which have led to the field installation of around 4000 devices, which are still undergoing testing.