Teesside to Saltend Ethylene Pipeline (TSEP)

Penspen continues to play a leading role in the design and development of pipelines to transport ethylene in the UK having participated in an alliance agreement with BP Chemicals for the Teesside to Saltend Ethylene Pipeline (TSEP) project. The project is part of the £450 million expansion scheme for BP operations at Grangemouth and Hull.



 

Preparing to Tie-in.

 

 

 

The TSEP pipeline will transport ethylene from the Huntsman-ICI Wilton works on Teesside to the new BP Chemicals ethylene by-products plant at Saltend Chemical Works near Hull. This extension to the UK Ethylene Network will provide a reliable and economic supply of ethylene to the Saltend facility to allow further investment in chemical production at the Hull site. It will also combine BP's assets in the North East of the UK into a single 'virtual' site. Penspen has already designed all of the existing major pipelines in the UK Ethylene Network which totals over 1000 km in length. The Network comprises; the BP Mossmorran to Grangemouth pipeline, the Shell North Western Ethylene Pipeline (NWEP) from Grangemouth to Stanlow, the BP/Huntsman-ICI Wilton to Grangemouth Ethylene Pipeline (WGEP) and the Huntsman-ICI Trans-Pennine Ethylene Pipeline (TPEP) linking Wilton to Stanlow.

Penspen's extensive experience made them the favoured consultancy for the design work necessary for the 153km long TSEP development. Penspen was initially appointed to review the preliminary pipeline route options and prepare the 1:10,000 route plans and land referencing details.


 

Main Laying Crew.






Following a competitive tendering process in 1998, BP Chemicals formed an alliance agreement with Penspen Limited undertaking detailed design and the role of Planning Supervisor, and Murphy Pipelines Ltd undertaking the construction and installation of the pipeline, civil and mechanical works. Construction of the pipeline was scheduled over two seasons with final completion required in time for the proposed commissioning of the new Saltend ethylene by-products plant in January 2001.

The pipeline affected some 350 landowners, many different and important archaeological sites, 10 valve station sites including offtake and terminal sites, 100 road crossings, 5 rail crossings, 33 river and stream crossings and 17 Horizontal Directional Drills were designed and installed.

The Alliance was the first of its kind for a pipeline project in the UK. Penspen's Project Manager, Alan Marchant, commented: "The Alliance called for a great deal of mutual trust and co-operation between the three parties for this complex project. Effective management and highly-motivated personnel delivering an excellent product installed with the least possible environmental impact, within the programmed schedule and with a record breaking safety record for pipelines, all contributed to the success of TSEP".

 

Front End Welding.

 







Penspen was also awarded an additional contract for the design, procurement and management of the Electrical, Control and Instrumentation (EC&I) works associated with the TSEP project. The EC&I scope included the SCADA system which was procured following a comprehensive pre-qualification and evaluation process involving Penspen and BP control personnel. In order to minimise installation works on site, the Coriolis meters were incorporated into single skid units fabricated by an experienced vendor. Penspen placed a subcontract for the installation of cables and field instruments and supervised the works in time for commissioning in November 2000.

Peter Skelley, BP's Overseas Manager said: "Penspen delivered its portions of the works within the budgeted costs and provided a high level of site design support as the project progressed. Their previous experience in ethylene pipelines proved to be invaluable."