Compressor station "Kubanskaya" of the Southern Corridor gas pipeline system
Natural gas is one of the key budget—forming resources of the Russian Federation. Both those who have ever studied at school and those who know the name of the key energy brand of our country know about this. That is, absolutely everything.
Meanwhile, it is unlikely that you will be able to immediately find a person who has seen with his own eyes what the heart of any gas pipeline looks like — a compressor station.
(23 photos in total)
The Kubanskaya compressor Station is one of 10 compressor stations with a total capacity of 1,516 MW that will be put into operation as part of the Southern Corridor project. By the way, the Kuban was built in record time — in just 10 months! As part of the Southern Corridor project, in addition to the stations, 2506.2 km of the gas pipeline line will be laid across the territory of 8 regions of the South and Center of Russia: Nizhny Novgorod, Penza, Saratov, Volgograd, Voronezh, Rostov regions, the Republic of Mordovia, Krasnodar Krai. The total capacity of the Southern Corridor gas pipeline system will amount to 63 billion cubic meters of gas per year and will provide the regions of the central and southern parts of Russia with additional volumes of natural gas for the development of industry, agriculture, utilities, improve living conditions of the population, and will also ensure the supply of gas to export-oriented gas pipelines.
The station "Kubanskaya" is located in the Ust-Labinsky district of Krasnodar Krai. Contrary to popular ideas about the incredible scope of everything in which the word "Gazprom" appears, the station looks very compact, neat and minimalistic.
At the same time, the station's capacity is 38 million cubic meters of gas per day. For understanding, this volume is enough to fully heat and illuminate more than 150,000 residential buildings during the year.
According to the established rules, the construction of gas pipelines is carried out far from populated areas. "Kuban" is located a few dozen kilometers from the nearest civilization. In a real open field.
Four gas pumping units (GPA) are installed at the compressor station, each with a capacity of 12 MW. All GPAs are equipped with automatic control and safety systems.
In each GPA unit there is a main filling — a compressor.
The compressors look very impressive, and the number of pipes of different diameters is impressive.
Inside, the compressor somewhat resembles the engine of an aircraft spacecraft.
The entire system is controlled from a kind of MCC — the compressor station control unit. The operator must simultaneously monitor a number of parameters: dozens of screens, sensors and remote installations that monitor the state of every centimeter of the station and are ready to switch to automatic control of its operation at any second. Security is a word that is really sewn into the work of each button here.
In total, 15 people — engineers, technicians and specialists in the operation of compressor units - work at the station in a constant mode. They work in shifts, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A situation where there is no one in key positions, as they say, is simply impossible. All employees are terribly responsible and serious. However, it is understandable.
The compressor station is a high—risk facility. Dozens of warning signs, alarms, barbed wires, a multi-level security system and a lot of backup installations capable of maintaining the functioning of the Kuban even in the most force majeure situations.
The station has its own electrical substation, which provides uninterrupted supply of electricity to the station equipment.
The area of 70 hectares is an archipelago of pretty buildings, similar to the enlarged details of a children's designer. In fact, it is a complex of high-tech structures designed to increase gas pressure. Everything is clean and tidy, the pipes are painted in beautiful bright colors.
An interesting and honorable fact: the territory surrounding the station belongs to the areas where fierce battles took place during the Great Patriotic War. When laying the Western route of the Southern Corridor gas pipeline system, which includes the Kubanskaya station, search engines managed to find hundreds of military artifacts, thanks to which it is possible to restore and perpetuate the names of soldiers who died in these places.
In addition, before the construction of facilities, the territory is cleared of explosive objects. Thus, during the construction of the Southern Corridor, more than 150 artillery shells, mortar mines and grenades were found and neutralized. You realize that these are first of all someone's saved lives, and you are imbued with some deep and calm feeling of gratitude. And respect.
Leaving this territory, you experience mixed feelings: "Kuban" is an island of another life completely, seemingly disconnected from the rest of the world. Difficult, interesting, strange, but — and this becomes obvious only after you have been here — very important and necessary. To all those who did not even suspect that she is like this.