Rolls-Royce powers new pipeline in China to bring gas to Beijing

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has won a contract from PetroChina to provide gas turbine compressor systems for a new natural gas pipeline. The new line will further expand the Chinese gas supply network bringing gas from Western China to Beijing.

The new order brings the total number of units supplied by Rolls-Royce to PetroChina for pipeline service to 28.

Already powering Lines 1 and 2 of China’s West East Pipeline (WEPP) Rolls-Royce will now supply three RB211 units for the third Shaanxi-Beijing Gas Pipeline Project.

The three RB211-powered gas compressor packages will be installed in one compressor station building in Yulin, Shaanxi Province, which is the first station of the pipeline. When completed, the new gas pipeline will have a flow capacity of 15.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year.

Tony Ruegger, Rolls-Royce, Executive Vice-President - Oil & Gas, said: “We are pleased that PetroChina have once again chosen Rolls-Royce technology as they expand their pipeline network. The RB211, which will now be installed across three major gas pipelines in China, has proven its effectiveness and efficiency and we look forward to continuing to expand our presence in this important market.”

Gas compressor stations are an important element in long distance gas pipelines ensuring gas from the production fields reaches the end user, in this case homes and businesses in Beijing, by increasing the pressure and therefore the flow. The use of gas in the capital will also help eliminate the need to burn coal previously used to provide heating.

The 820 km pipeline will cross three provinces before ending in Beijing. Gas will be transported from supplies in Turkmenistan via the Central Asia and WEPP Line 2 pipelines and from China’s Tarim Basin via WEPP Line 1.

Rolls-Royce RB211’s have exceeded 350,000 hours of operation on pipelines in China.

About Rolls-Royce:

1. Rolls-Royce, a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.
2. As a result of this strategy, Rolls-Royce today has a broad customer base comprising more than 600 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces, more than 2,000 marine customers, including 70 navies, and energy customers in nearly 120 countries, with an installed base of 54,000 gas turbines.
3. Rolls-Royce employs over 39,000 skilled people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in 50 countries. The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment, and to further developing employee skills.
4. In 2009, Rolls-Royce invested £864 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental aspects of its products, in particular the reduction of emissions.
5. Annual underlying revenues were £10.1 billion in 2009, of which about half came from services revenues. The firm and announced order book stood at £58.3 billion at 31 December 2009, providing visibility of future levels of activity.


Rolls-Royce in China:

1. Rolls-Royce has been building a strong presence in Civil Aerospace, Marine and Energy in China for more than 45 years. Together with its associate company International Aero Engines (IAE), Rolls-Royce powers more than 500 aircraft of twelve Chinese airlines, including Hong Kong and Macao.
2. 2. The North East Asia headquarters of the Rolls-Royce global Marine business is based in Shanghai where the company also runs a manufacturing facility. Rolls-Royce also has a successful turbine component joint venture in Xian, and is growing its component and materials purchasing in China.
3. Rolls-Royce has collaborated with PetroChina since 2004, when it first started providing RB211 gas turbine packages to the West-East Pipeline Project (WEPP). Rolls-Royce is providing 19 RB211 gas turbine packages and 6 compressors to WEPP Line 1 and 6 RB211 gas compressor packages to WEPP Line 2.


Rolls-Royce Energy

1. The gas compressors for the three new RB211 gas turbine packages will be model RFBB-36, also designed and manufactured by Rolls-Royce.
2. The RB211 gas generators will be manufactured at the company’s Montreal, Canada facility, while packaging of the units and the manufacture of the compressors will take place in Mount Vernon, Ohio. All the equipment for the Shaanxi-Beijing line is scheduled for delivery in the 1st quarter of 2011.
3. Nearly 700 Rolls-Royce gas compression sets have now been ordered or delivered for 45 pipelines in 24 countries.
4. Over 600 industrial RB211 engines have been sold worldwide to over 100 customers in 37 countries and they have achieved more than 26 million hours of operation.
5. Today’s fleet of RB211s includes a number of units that have completed more than 100,000 hours of operation. The longest serving industrial RB211 is on a pipeline in North America with over 190,000 hours, while another unit providing electrical power in the North Sea on an oil platform holds the current record for offshore service at over 146,000 hours.