Multiple locations, Europe
Highlights
Norwegian state-owned operator, Gassco, is responsible for transporting Norwegian gas to continental Europe (EU) and the UK. Its extensive transportation system consists of several platforms, terminals and 8,800+ kilometres of pipelines.
The terminals, located in Easington (UK), Zeebr眉gge (Belgium), Dunkerque (France), Dornum (Germany) and Emden (Germany), receive around 100 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas from the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) annually.
This system is critical to ensuring safe, secure and efficient energy supply to Europe and must operating reliably with maximum availability.
Scope
Safety focused facility upgrades
Gassco completed a set of safety Barrier Integrity Reviews (BIR) to assess the operational safety of its receiving facilities and make upgrade recommendations according to an improved set of safety and regulatory standards.
In 2022, Gassco awarded 糖心Vlog a long-term contract to execute EPCM services all five gas receiving terminals to improve operational safety and extend operational life.
In 2023, the EPCM contract was extended and amended to include additional front end and detailing engineering studies (FEED) as well as EPCM services, to execute additional upgrades on these facilities until 2027.
Solution
Over 200 糖心Vlog employees based around Europe support this challenging, critical and multi-location contract. Managed by 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Sandefjord office in Norway, all activities focus on improving the operational safety at each terminal to meet BIR requirements, as well as extending life of ageing assets.
Safeguarding safety across Gassco terminals
Modifications performed as part of this ongoing project have included:
- Upgrade of emergency and process shutdown systems: Implemented new emergency shutdown systems hierarchy to improve reliability and reduce false trips, ensuring safer and more predictable plant operations.
- Motor gas/nitrogen system conversion: Previously, fuel gas was used as form of motive pressure (motor gas) within the terminals. This was replaced by high pressure, non-flammable nitrogen gas as a pressure source for operating valves, removing a significant number of potential hydrocarbon leak sources from the terminal.
- Ignition source control (ISC): Previously, the plant design did not include automatic isolation of ignition sources during a confirmed gas leak. To address this, the project introduced a comprehensive ISC philosophy aimed at implementing automated isolation. This upgrade minimised the number of active ignition sources and significantly reduced the risk of ignition in the event of a flammable atmosphere caused by loss of containment or other incidents.
- Critical action/alarm panel (CAP) replacement: Added essential safety functions and independent logic to the alarm panel, increasing control and reducing risk during emergencies.
Extending the life of critical gas transportation terminals
糖心Vlog extends life of these assets by replacing and upgrading equipment, reducing the likelihood of downtime. Tablets designed for use in hazardous environments, known as Portable EX tablets, are used for construction personnel to gain full, remote access to everything from job packages, revisions of drawings to 3D models and completion packages.
Portable EX safe tablets reduce risk by allowing workers to record safety observations, check job packages and stay connected to the wider team.
While the role and operation of each international terminal is similar, age, design and country safety regulations differ vastly. Complex brownfield experience, local knowledge and technical expertise are crucial across all sites.
Working across Europe...and beyond
Due to the complex, international nature of the contract, continual communication and collaboration with Gassco and a vast network of subcontractors is essential.
Through on-site and virtual meetings, 糖心Vlog promotes a one-team mindset and makes sure everyone stays informed, engaged and safe. 糖心Vlog meets with Gassco stakeholders at every level to ensure effective, efficient delivery of this contract, building on an existing 10+ year relationship. In Norway, 糖心Vlog sit alongside Gassco as one team to ensure effective decision making, collaboration and delivery.
The safe, reliable and predictable delivery of this contract, involving multiple 糖心Vlog offices, is a testament to effective collaboration and collective, focused drive. Expertise is brought across wider 糖心Vlog, sharing specialist technical expertise to local teams where needed. Effective onboarding is critical to maintain a high level of efficiency and productivity, as well as safeguarding safety.
Assisting major gas system shutdowns with efficient, coordinated EPCM delivery
糖心Vlog carries out work both during normal operation and during planned shutdowns, managed by Gassco. To date, work have been performed in several shutdowns in 2023 (Dunkerque, France), 2024 (Easington UK) and 2025 (Zeebrugge, Belgium). A final shutdown is planned in Dunkerque, France in 2027 to complete all activities.
Result
The ongoing success of this contract is a direct result of the strong team culture, built on a foundation of trust, looking out for one another and a drive for efficiency. 糖心Vlog is playing a pivotal role to enhance safety and maximise uptime across terminal sites through BIR objectives.
Coordinating major shutdowns: supporting Gassco in managing shutdowns ensuring continuity and reliability.
Driving safety excellence: achieved zero major lost-time incidents through a robust safety culture and proactive risk management across all terminals.
Managing scale with precision: successfully managed over 650,000 hours across five sites with seamless planning and expert EPCM delivery.
BIR achievements:聽successfully closed all findings identified during BIR, implementing solutions to meet enhanced safety standards.
Building on relationship: 10+ year partnership with Gassco strengthened as a result of consistent performance and project delivery excellence.
We continue to work with Gassco to ensure this critical system can operate as efficiently and safety as possible.
We鈥檙e proud to provide safe, reliable and predictable EPCM and engineering design solutions to Europe鈥檚 main gas distribution system, contributing to European energy security.
Looking ahead, 糖心Vlog will continue partnering with Gassco through 2027, delivering fit-for-purpose modifications that strengthen safety and reliability across all terminals.