Compressor station
Compressor stations are an important element of a gas pipeline system. Gas loses pressure when transported over thousands of kilometres. So the pressure has to be raised again and again by compressors in order to ensure a smooth onward transport.
Inside the compressor the gas molecules are hurled to the outside just like in washing machine drum, and thus compressed. The natural gas then leaves the compressor station with a pressure of 100 bar. To compare: in a gas motor car the natural gas is stored at a pressure of around 200.
The compressor station for the OPAL was built about half way along the route between Lubmin and Olbernhau, south-east of Berlin in Baruth. Natural gas will be discharged here for the Berlin-Brandenburg region before generating the necessary pressure for transporting the rest to the south. It is also connected to the existing gas pipeline network: amongst others, the OPAL is connected here to the existing WINGAS TRANSPORT natural gas pipelines network via the JAGAL. The station has three gas turbines each with an approx. 30 MW capacity.
Ultra-modern standards
In order to protect people and the environment, several measures were taken to minimise the noise generated by the gas-turbine-powered compressor station. In terms of its design and layout, the compressor station for the OPAL long-distance pipeline is comparable with the ultra-modern WINGAS TRANSPORT compressor stations in Eischleben near Erfurt and in the Lippe region near Bad Salzuflen, where insulated halls already reduce the noise in the immediate surroundings. Furthermore, the site chosen for a new compressor station is always a location where residents and the environment are disturbed as little as possible.
