BBL Pipeline
Encyclopedia
The BBL Pipeline is the first natural gas
pipeline
between the Netherlands
and the United Kingdom
.
compressor station
at Grasweg in Anna Paulowna
(province of North Holland) and Bacton Gas Terminal
started on 14 July 2006. The pipeline became operational on 1 December 2006.
500 million.
and Fluxys
both own 20%. Russia
n Gazprom
has an option for 9%, in exchange for a 9% share of Nord Stream AG
.. The BBL Pipeline would allow Gazprom to supply additional gas to the British market through the Nord Stream pipeline.
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
pipeline
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
between the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
Laying the pipeline between the North HollandNorth Holland
North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
compressor station
Compressor station
A compressor station is a facility which helps the transportation process of natural gas from one location to another. Natural gas, while being transported through a gas pipeline, needs to be constantly pressurized in certain distance intervals...
at Grasweg in Anna Paulowna
Anna Paulowna
Anna Paulowna is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The municipality derives its name from the Anna Paulownapolder, which was laid dry in 1846 during the reign of King William II of the Netherlands and in turn named after his wife, Queen Anna Pavlovna...
(province of North Holland) and Bacton Gas Terminal
Bacton Gas Terminal
The Bacton Gas Terminal is a large gas terminal found on the North Sea coast in North Norfolk near Paston and between Bacton and Mundesley. The nearest main town is North Walsham. The other main UK gas terminals are at St Fergus, Aberdeenshire and the Easington, East Riding of...
started on 14 July 2006. The pipeline became operational on 1 December 2006.
Technical description
The overall length of pipeline is 235 kilometres (146 mi) of which around 230 kilometres (142.9 mi) is offshore. The pipeline's diameter is 36 inches (914.4 mm) and working pressure is 135 standard atmospheres (13,678,875 Pa). The initial capacity is 16 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year, which will be increased to 19.2 bcm by the end of 2010 by installing a fourth compressor at the compressor station at Anna Paulowna. The direction of gas flow is from the Netherlands to the UK. The overall cost of the project was around €Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
500 million.
Operating company
The BBL was developed and operated by the BBL Company. The main shareholder of the company is Gasunie with 60% of the shares, and gas companies E.ON Ruhrgas TransportE.ON
E.ON AG, marketed with an interpunct as E•ON, is the holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The name comes from the Greek word aeon which means eternity....
and Fluxys
Fluxys
Fluxys is a Belgium-based company, mainly acting as a natural gas operator. In 2004, it employed around 850 people and its infrastructure comprised about 3,700 km of pipelines and a terminal in Zeebrugge, Belgium...
both own 20%. Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Gazprom
Gazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
has an option for 9%, in exchange for a 9% share of Nord Stream AG
Nord Stream AG
Nord Stream AG is a consortium for construction and operation of the planned Nord Stream submarine pipeline between Vyborg in Russia and Greifswald in Germany, a project initially promoted by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and President Vladimir Putin. The consortium was incorporated in Zug,...
.. The BBL Pipeline would allow Gazprom to supply additional gas to the British market through the Nord Stream pipeline.
See also
- N.V. Nederlandse GasunieN.V. Nederlandse GasunieN.V. Nederlandse Gasunie is a Dutch natural gas infrastructure and transportation company operating in the Netherlands and Germany...
- E.ONE.ONE.ON AG, marketed with an interpunct as E•ON, is the holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The name comes from the Greek word aeon which means eternity....
- FluxysFluxysFluxys is a Belgium-based company, mainly acting as a natural gas operator. In 2004, it employed around 850 people and its infrastructure comprised about 3,700 km of pipelines and a terminal in Zeebrugge, Belgium...
- GazpromGazpromOpen Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
- InterconnectorInterconnectorThe Interconnector is a natural gas pipeline between the United Kingdom and continental Europe. It crosses the North Sea between Bacton Gas Terminal in England and Zeebrugge in Belgium. Construction of the pipeline was completed in 1998. It provides bi-directional transport capability to...
- Nord Stream