Here’s a smart idea: extract salt from under the ground, and store gas under high pressure in the space that is left behind. That is exactly what Nuon is doing. Imtech Industrial Services is responsible for all the electrical and instrumentation (E&I) requirements from start to finish in what is an innovative expansion in capacity of the existing compressor station in Epe, Germany.

The station is already used primarily for storing gas according to seasonal needs. For Nuon, the expansion means that they will be in a better position to respond to daily fluctuations in supply and demand on the gas market.

Gerard Hofste, the E&I Oost Sales Manager, says, ‘The extraction of salt in the region around Epe, just over the German border near Enschede, has led to the creation of underground caverns. These are now being used for storing gas under high pressure. The expansion of the compressor station, which is needed for this, consists of the installation of two extra centrifugal compressors. This will raise the injection capacity of the station by no less than a factor of five.’

Alwin Brouwer, the E&I Oost Project Manager, continues, ‘In order to increase the storage capacity, another three caverns are being added to the four already present. They are located between two and three kilometres from the compressor station. A new building is being constructed for the new compressors and the equipment that goes with them. Imtech is supplying and installing the entire range of E&I requirement, including the medium voltage cables.’

According to Gerard Hofste, the project was secured ‘thanks to a perfect working partnership between the Imtech Industrie Oost Sales Support and Implementation departments.’ Good work, everybody.

Gerard Hofste and Alwin Brouwer are working closely together in ‘Project Nuon’