Natural Gas Metering & Pressure Regulating Station for Power Generation Project in Thailand

Overview：

1. Project Background

With the continuous increase in electricity demand in Thailand, gas-fired power plants have recently received significant attention in the region. Offering natural gas for power generation provides high efficiency, low emissions, and reliability. To support this growing sector, the energy market has increasingly relied on “ok energy” systems, ensuring continuous and stable fuel gas supply.

Our client is an industrial energy facility developing a large power generation plant. As part of this development, they required a natural gas supply system that would deliver gas to their turbines at the appropriate pressure. The natural gas supplied by the client’s pipeline company arrives in the transmission pipeline at high pressure exceeding 500 psig.

A natural gas metering and pressure reducing station was installed to reduce the pipeline gas pressure and provide a stable supply of gas, plus accurate measurement for operational control.

2. Operating Conditions and Technical Parameters

The customer needed a design for an industrial end-user station (power plant) with a design flow rate of 30,000 Nm³/h, a design inlet pressure of 2 MPa, and a design outlet pressure of 0.2-0.4 MPa, located in Thailand.

The system safely reduces high-pressure pipeline gas to the appropriate lower pressure for downstream combustion devices and measurements. Given the challenges faced, including the need to prevent LNG startup delays, the solution ensures efficient startup and operation.

3. Customer Pain Points & Challenges

• High Reliability Requirement: Power generation equipment requires a continuous and stable fuel gas supply. Pressure fluctuations may affect combustion efficiency and power generation stability.
• Accurate Gas Measurement: The customer needed accurate gas measurement to monitor fuel consumption and optimize their energy strategy for their power generation facility.
• Limited Maintenance Resources: The plant required a solution that featured simple operation logic, high system reliability, and low maintenance.
• Preventing LNG Startup Delays: To ensure reliable startup, the LNG system required a solution that could minimize delays and optimize performance.

4. Our Customized Solution

Given the specifics of this project, PDC created a skid-mounted natural gas metering and pressure regulating station for this combined-cycle power plant.

• High-Efficiency Gas Filtration: The gas filters are equipped with a multi-stage filtration system consisting of pre-filters and fine filters, designed to remove dust, rust, and other solid impurities from the pipeline gas, protecting downstream critical regulating valves and precision gas meters from damage caused by dirt deposits.
• Stable Pressure Regulation System: Supplied at an inlet gas pressure of 2 MPa, these fuel gas packages are downstream pressure-regulated to a stable set-point outlet gas pressure of 0.2–0.4 MPa to support various power generation packages.
• High-Precision Gas Metering: The new station houses high-accuracy flow measurement devices to allow the plant to monitor and record gas consumption for plant-wide energy management.
• LNG Vaporization System: This advanced system was implemented to ensure stable operation and prevent disruptions in the gas supply by processing LNG efficiently.

5. Operating Results

After connection to the main network, the gas metering and pressure-reducing station is working stably and safely.

• The system maintains constant pressure (0.2–0.4 MPa) at the outlet, supplying fuel gas continuously to power generation equipment.
• Key Operating Results:
  • Secure natural gas supply for consistent operation of the power generation plant.
  • Accurate gas metering, improving energy consumption monitoring.
  • Reliable pressure control protecting downstream combustion equipment.

The station has been in commercial operation since completion, performing with high availability and efficiency, supplying natural gas to the power plant.

6. Core Advantages: Why Choose Us?

• Stable Gas Supply for Power Generation: The pressure-regulating system ensures a continued and consistent flow of gas for reliable power generation.
• High System Reliability: Our gas station utilizes industrial-grade valves and meters known for their reliable performance.
• Reduced Installation Time: The skid-mounted solution is modular in design, making it easier to transport and install, enabling a fast turnkey project solution.
• Low Maintenance Requirements: Optimization of the system structure simplifies maintenance, saving long-term operational costs.

7. Customer Benefits & ROI

• Improved Power Generation Efficiency: Robust gas pressure and accurate gas metering enhance power plant efficiency and gas turbine output.
• Reduced Operating Costs: The reliable fuel gas supply system on Nissani 3 eliminates unnecessary downtime and maintenance of equipment.
• Shorter Investment Payback Period: By utilizing an advanced equipment design and efficient gas usage, the whole investment payback period has been reduced, and significant economic benefits have been gained by the customer.

8. Typical Application Scenarios

This solution is widely applicable to:

• Gas-fired power plants
• Large industrial gas users
• Urban gas distribution and pressure-regulator stations
• Natural gas transmission & distribution projects