Network Development Statement 2010/11 to 2019/20 - Gaslink

NETWORK DEVELOPMENT STATEMENT
A Gas Emergency Response Team (GERT) is in place as
part of the NGEP. This group convenes in the event of an
actual emergency and includes representatives from BGN,
Gaslink, Eirgrid and CER/DCENR.
The CER chairs the Task Force on Emergency Procedures
(TFEP), which also includes representatives from the
Department of Communications, Energy and Natural
Resources (DCENR), Gaslink, BGN, EirGrid and ESB
Networks.
The TFEP is responsible for ensuring that coordinated
procedures are in place to manage a supply emergency on
the gas and electricity systems, and that an emergency on
one system does not lead to an emergency on the other.
The first TFEP report was published in 2007 and included
recommendations to enhance the existing arrangements
and procedures, including:
• Giving EirGrid a role in the curtailment of gas
supplies to power stations during a natural gas supply
emergency, in order to mitigate as far as possible the
impact on electricity supplies.
• Requiring power stations to hold adequate stocks of
secondary fuels, and testing their ability to switchover
to these secondary fuels in an emergency.
As part of the NGEP a Gas Emergency Planning Team
(GEPT) meets with a view to further developing the
emergency arrangements contained in the NGEP. This
team includes BGN, Gaslink, EirGrid and CER/DCENR. This
team also discusses forthcoming gas emergency exercises
and exercises already conducted.
Exercise Avogadro was conducted between operators/
regulators and Government Departments in Ireland
and the UK in the summer of 2010. This exercise tested
the communications protocols between government
and industry in the event of a major gas emergency.
The exercise also included liaison with the equivalent
authorities in Northern Ireland. The exercise was deemed
a success and a number of initiatives have stemmed from
the lessons learned.
In addition to planning arrangements for potential or
actual gas supply emergency’s, BGN put in a place a
number of preventative measures to reduce the risk of an
emergency.
Grid Control, a department within BGN, are responsible
for the 24 hour technical operation and supervision of
the gas network using a sophisticated Supervisory Control
and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system which captures and
presents live data from each above ground installation
(AGI). Alarm limits are set on all key parameters in
SCADA and when a process variable falls outside of these
alarm limits it is escalated to a Field Operations team to
remedy, where a 24 / 7 on-call rota is operated all year
round. Emergency repair arrangements are maintained
with contractors that would allow the timely repair of
any damage to the transmission network if required. In
addition to this 24 hour operation and supervision of the
network, security cameras are installed and monitored at
various key stations and the transmission pipeline network
is monitored regularly by helicopter and line walks.
BGN also encourage public gas safety awareness through
advertising campaigns a presence at major trade shows
and the Ploughing Championships, and operates dial
before you dig and 24 hour emergency lines.
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