Safety on the ground
Safety on the ground
Pipelines are the safest method of transporting natural gas, not least thanks to the many tests conducted before they go on stream, the substantial protection of the materials, the regular inspections during operations and a rapid response mechanism in the case of faults.
The pipes for long-distance pipelines are made of high-quality certified steel with an outer coating of polyethylene. If the coating were to get damaged, an active anti-corrosion protective mechanism (cathodic) would kick in: a weak current in the millivolt region applied to the pipeline prevents corrosion by means of an electro-chemical process. The affected area is then pinpointed in a very short space of time and the synthetic cover is repaired.
Passing the stress test
The approx. 18-metre-long pipes are welded into one long pipeline on the construction site. The highest quality standards are applied to the welding seams. Independent certified specialists and experts inspect the pipeline for any possible faults using x-rays, isotope rays or ultra sound equipment. The welding seams are also given a water-tight insulating synthetic coating to protect them from rust. When all this has been completed, the entire pipeline undergoes a water pressure check to test its solidity and impermeability. This so-called “stress test” places considerably more pressure on the pipes than during standard operations. The pipeline is commissioned once it has been approved by independent surveyors at TÜV, Germany’s Technical Inspection Agency.
Safely under the earth
Once the construction work has been completed, the pipeline is safe in the ground with at least one meter of earth above the top of the pipes. It is therefore perfectly feasible to farm the land above the pipeline. To protect the pipeline from other possible forms of damage from outside, for example through construction measures, the law states that the pipeline operator must be informed of such activities. Route controllers and pilots regularly fly over the route checking that this regulation is being complied with.
Under constant observation
As soon as the first gas flows through the pipeline it will be under constant observation: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The control centre monitoring the pipeline would notice immediately if there was an unusual fall in pressure. Line valve stations integrated into the pipeline at intervals of a maximum of 18 kilometres would immediately and automatically interrupt the gas flow should this occur.
