Comparative analysis of the efficiency of gas turbine and electric drives usage for gas-compressor units at the compressor stations of the gas-main pipelines

Abstract

Ukraine being the fifth country in the world by the total length of pipelines after the USA, Russia, Canada and
China (gas – 33.327 thousand km, oil – 4.514 thousand km, petroleum products – 4.211 thousand km), is supposed
to get significant positive economical results and geopolitical dividends from efficient usage of this resource.
However, a number of different factors even the potential of the efficient usage of Ukrainian pipelines. For example,
gas transportation through the territory of Ukraine is provided by more than 750 gas-compressor units with overall
power of 5.56 million kilowatts, while nearly 82.5% of these units are equipped with gas-turbine engines. More than
70% of these units actually are worn out and should be changed urgently. Inefficient consumption of fuel gas by
out-of-date and physically worn out gas-compressor units causes. The resources of over 70% of the units have been
exhausted and thus the units have to be replaced, as well as the ineffective usage of power gas by dated and physically
worn-out units causes the growth of expenses of power gas for the technological needs of the gas-transport
system and leads to unjustified financial expenses. That is why the problem of decreasing the power intensity of Ukrainian gas-transport system becomes a high priority task for the process of reconstruction and modernization of Ukrainian compressor stations.
The article analyses the main pros and cons of using gas turbine and electric drives on compressor stations
of gas-main pipelines, proposes the methods and shows the results of calculations of financial expenses on the
realization of various conditions and rates of gas transportation while using gas turbine and electric drives and
introduces the notion of the “coefficient of energy efficiency” of drive usage.