Major gas grid contract

Yokogawa UK has won a major contract from Orbital Gas Systems for pressure and temperature transmitters for use on the British National Grid gas network.

The contract, which covers the supply of 350 EJX pressure transmitters and 80 YTA temperature transmitters, covers major upgrades to the National Transmission System (NTS): the high pressure part of Britain's natural gas transmission network, consisting of more than 7400 km of pipeline operating at pressures of up to 85 bar.

National Grid is constantly upgrading the NTS, and awarded the contract to Orbital Gas Systems for the two most recent projects, known as IRIS and Upgrade of High Pressure Supply Point Metering Equipment. The IRIS project comprises upgrading the network's remote terminal units to improve the functionality of the existing telemetry system as part of a process of continual improvement. The objective of the Metering project is to reduce the uncertainty of flow measurement within the NTS, and to ensure compliance with new international standards.

A key requirement for both projects is accurate and reliable measurements of parameters such as pressure, differential pressure and temperature, with particular emphasis on the long-term stability and repeatability of the measuring instruments. "Measurement stability, and particularly maximising the length of time between calibrations, is a key factor in keeping operating costs down," Orbital commented. "Yokogawa were able to offer this stability - along with the required level of overall performance - as part of a package which helped us to keep both operating and capital costs within a level which suited our customer."

The EJX and YTA are part of Yokogawa's comprehensive range of field instruments, which includes pressure, temperature and level transmitters, flowmeters, valve positioners and controllers.