The Krasnodar Territory - Crimea gas trunkline began to operate in December 2016 in order to provide fuel for the main power plants of the peninsula located in the cities of Simferopol and Sevastopol. The gas pipeline is designed to ensure the reliable and stable operation of the gas transmission system on the Crimean peninsula, which requires serious reconstruction due to the small volumes of gas production and the use of outdated capacities.
Prerequisites for the construction of the gas pipeline
In the fall of 2015, the Crimean residents faced a serious problem of a shortage of electricity, as Ukrainian-Tatar activists blew up several power transmission poles reaching the peninsula. Only due to good weather and the construction of an underwater energy bridge in the Crimea from the Kuban, the peninsula managed to avoid many problems. A no less difficult situation arose in the gas transmission system.
Crimea at the time of joining Russia mined about 2 billion cubic meters a year. m of gas with domestic consumption of 1.6 billion cubic meters. m. If we evaluate these data, then on the peninsula there were no visible problems.
However, the gas industry of Crimea has a number of features. In particular, the Crimea is characterized by uneven consumption of gas, that is, in the summer, consumption can be 2 million cubic meters per day. m, and in the heating season - 10-13 million cubic meters. m. In addition, gas consumption on the peninsula has increased due to problems with electricity.
As for gas production, it cannot be drastically changed: to reduce or, conversely, increase depending on the time of year and the needs of the territory. In order to have enough gas for the winter season, in the Crimea there is the Glebovsky gas storage, the active volume of which is 1 billion cubic meters. m. But now it is not used to the full. In addition, to increase gas production, it is necessary to carry out additional drilling and install booster equipment. Currently, the amount of gas produced in the shelf is declining. So, for the period 2014-2015. it fell to 1.8 billion cubic meters. m
Another important nuance: the settlement of shelf problems with Ukraine. The most powerful and promising gas field in the shelf of the sea is Odessa. It is located closer to the coast of Odessa than to the Crimean peninsula, which means that Ukraine has more rights to it. This field began to be exploited shortly before the secession of Crimea, and without its resources it would be difficult for the peninsula to cope with the gas problem, because it produces about 60% of all gas produced in Crimea.
These factors led to the need to revise the terms and plans for the construction of the gas pipeline, since it was originally planned to complete the gas pipeline to the Crimea by the end of 2017, together with the construction of two powerful gas units of TPPs in Sevastopol and Simferopol.
The value of the gas pipeline to Crimea
The construction of a gas pipeline in the Crimea is an objective necessity. This will improve the gas supply to the peninsula and in particular its most complex settlements - Sevastopol and Kerch. In addition, this will contribute to increasing the reliability of the Crimean gas transmission system. The main task of the construction is to ensure the energy security of Crimea.
The gasification of Crimea will be of great importance for the economy of the Kuban. The construction of the pipeline will bring additional revenues to the budget of the Krasnodar Territory, and will also help reduce unemployment. The increase in tax revenues will primarily be due to the real estate tax on infrastructure. There was a lot of controversy regarding the environmental component of the project, namely, whether the construction of the gas pipeline would lead to a deterioration in the ecology of Lake Tuzla and the Kerch Strait, but experts say that no negative environmental consequences should be expected. In addition, the construction of the gas pipeline will increase the attractiveness of the Krasnodar Territory for investors. Also, transit allocations will contribute to the regional budget.
Gas pipeline "Krasnodar Territory - Crimea": main characteristics
They are:
- level of responsibility 1a;
- protection against seismic activity 7-9 points;
- minimum life - 50 years;
- supply capacity - up to 4 billion cubic meters. m / year;
- maximum pressure - 75 kgf;
- diameter of pipes is 500-700 mm.
Project Features
The main gas pipeline is designed to provide gas to two Crimean combined heat and power plants, each with a capacity of 380 MW. This will fully cover the need for electricity on the peninsula.
The gas pipeline to the Crimea passes from the Yuzhnaya station along the bottom of the Kerch Strait, first to Simferopol and then to Sevastopol. The gas pipeline passes through different terrain, so pipes of various diameters were required for its construction.
The gas pipeline combines underground and underwater laying. The design of the gas pipeline was carried out taking into account one important point - providing protection against seismic activity of 7-9 points.
Design and survey works (PIR) for the installation of the gas pipeline were carried out by the Crimean Shelf Institute. The design of the gas pipeline required significant financial investments. The amount amounted to 149.833 million rubles.
Gas pipeline installation
The main installation work was assigned to the specialists of the Stroygazmontazh company. Also, Crimean companies were involved in the work on the project.
The 400 km gas pipeline was built in three phases:
- a 1.2 km long land stretch across the Taman Peninsula;
- a section passing through the Kerch Strait, two branches with a length of 16 km: the main and reserve;
- land plot, about 20.4 km long, running through the territory of the Kerch Peninsula.
Gas pipeline construction
The construction of the pipeline was carried out at an accelerated pace. On October 1, 2015, 200 km of pipes were purchased, and in the spring of 2016, the gas pipeline to the Crimea was already 30% ready.
In March 2016, the approval of all necessary documentation for the project by the Glavgosexpertiza of the Russian Federation on the Kuban-Crimea section was completed, and in May on the Crimean part of the gas pipeline.
By September 2016, work had already been done by 90%. In November 2016, the Crimea again resumed gas supply to the Ukrainian Genichesk, which had been experiencing gas shortages all this time. Since the construction of the gas pipeline was almost completed, a decision was made to resume supplies.
The completion of the construction and commissioning of the finished gas pipeline took place on December 27, 2016.
Project financing
The gas pipeline project was financed from the state budget of the Russian Federation. The implementation required about 20 billion rubles, of which 14 billion rubles. were aimed at the purchase of materials necessary for the construction and installation of the gas pipeline.
The timing
Initially, the completion of the gas pipeline from the Kuban to Crimea was planned for December 2017. But due to a decrease in gas production in the Crimea and a sharp increase in its consumption, the dates were shifted. The gas pipeline was commissioned a year earlier.
Gas pipeline opening
The gas pipeline to the Crimea from Russia was completed much ahead of schedule. On December 27, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched gas through it.
The total length was 358.7 km. In total, the gas pipeline was installed by 1,200 people, 460 technical units, and 40 ships.
Future plans
It is planned to build two power plants on the basis of the new gas pipeline, which will fully satisfy the electricity needs of Crimea. The completion of the construction of power plants is scheduled for 2018.
Power engineers also plan to build new and reconstruct old gas pipelines with a total length of 70 km, as well as 2,500 km of Crimean inter-settlement gas pipelines. In addition, eight gas pumping stations are planned to be additionally built in Crimea.
Thus, the construction of a gas pipeline to the Crimea was an objective necessity. The gas transmission system of the peninsula was in a critical situation, since in the winter of 2016 the peninsula could not provide its consumers with sufficient gas on its own. A decrease in the amount of gas produced in the shelf of the sea, as well as an increase in consumption on the peninsula, made it necessary to speed up the construction period. As a result, the gas pipeline was commissioned a year earlier - in December 2016. Accelerating the construction of the pipeline allowed removing restrictions on the thermal power plants of the peninsula and they were again transferred from fuel oil to gas.
The gas pipeline to the Crimea will contribute to even greater rapprochement of the peninsula with mainland Russia. Putting the project into operation, taking into account a decrease in the reserves of the Glebovsky gas storage and a decrease in its own production, will add about 13 million cubic meters. m of gas per day. This should be enough even if the winter months are very cold. But still with a small margin of safety. However, according to forecasts, this volume will be small for new gas TPPs. By the end of 2017, it is planned to build a second branch of the gas pipeline, as well as reconstruct Glebovsky gas storage, as a result of which its capacity will increase by two (if the reconstruction is carried out in accordance with the Ukrainian plan), or even four times. This will finally solve all the existing problems with the gas transmission system in the Russian Crimea, even taking into account the further growth of gas consumption and an even greater decrease in the volume of Crimean gas production.
However, it is worth noting that Genichesk will continue to depend on the Crimean gas supply, since during the year the Ukrainian authorities did not take any measures to solve this problem. They only recommended that citizens install alternative heating options. In this situation, thanks to the construction of a gas pipeline from the mainland of the Russian Federation to the Crimea, this will not be a problem for the peninsula.