1.A.3.e Pipeline Compressors

Last updated on 04 Dec 2014 08:38 (cf. Authors)

Short description

Under category 1.A.3.e - Pipeline Compressors emissions from compressors in pipeline transport of natural gas are reported.

NFR-Code	Name of Category	Method	AR	EF	Key Source for (by1)
1.A.3.e	Pipeline Compressors	T2	NS	CS	no key source

¹ T = key source by Trend / L = key source by Level

Method

Activity data

In past years, statistical fuel consumption data from the National Energy Balances for Germany was used (AGEB, 2013a) [1]. But a comparison with data from German ETS (available as of 2005) exposed several inconsistencies within these statistics.

Therefore, as the fuel consumption of a compressor station depends strongly on the amount of transferred natural gas, a conversion factor was derived reflecting the relation between the fuel consumption of all compressor stations and the primary energy consumption of natural gas within Germany. Using this conversion factor, the insufficient statistical data could be replaced by much more solid estimates for the years 1990 to 2004 whereas for 2005+ the abovementioned ETS data is used.

Table 1: Annual natural gas consumption, [TJ]

1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
19,449	20,437	20,205	21,381	21,772	23,740	26,566	25,379	25,612	25,537
2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
25,324	26,706	28,689	26,988	27,125	26,501	29,906	24,419	25,646	24,167
2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
21,021	21,942	22,110

italic: recalculated values

Emission factors

The emission factors for pipeline comporessors have been taken from the research project "Determination and evaluation of emission factors for combustion systems in Germany for the years 1995, 2000 and 2010" (DFIU, 2002) [3]. A detailed description of the procedure is presented in Chapter: 1.A.1.a - Public Electricity And Heat Production.
Compressor stations, in Germany mostely gasturbines are responsible for maintaining a constant pressure in the pipline. Basically they work discontinuously which causes relatively high specific emissions. In order to reflect this point the German law allows exemptions for installations with a low level of utilization.

Table 2: EF used for 2012 emission estimates, in [kg/TJ]

NH3	NMVOC	NOx	SOx	CO	PM
0.15	0.25	122	0.5	53	0.40

Trend discussion for Key Sources

The following diagram gives an overview of the fuel consumption in NFR 1.A.3.e

Since 1990 fuel consumption has shown an increasing overall trend. Annual fluctuations are due to the varying primary energy consumption. The maximum fuel consumption occured in 2006, the year with the so far highest German total primary energy consumption of natural gas. Thereafter, natural gas consumption decreases considerably.

Recalculations

Compared to submission 2013, acitvity data was recalculated for all years as of 2005 due to the correction of an error.

Table 3: Revised natural gas consumption data 2005-2011, in [TJ]

	1990	1995	2000	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Submission 2014	19,449	23,740	25,324	26,501	29,906	24,419	25,646	24,167	21,021	21,942
Submission 2013	19,449	23,740	25,324	26,778	30,453	24,581	26,215	24,485	21,301	21,882
absolute change	0	0	0	-277	-547	-162	-569	-318	-280	59
relative change	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	-1.04%	-1.80%	-0.66%	-2.17%	-1.30%	-1.32%	0.27%

In addition, no changes occured to the emission factors applied.

For pollutant specific information on qualitative and quantitative impacts on 1990 and 2011 emission estimates see chapter 11. Recalculations.

Planned improvements

At the moment, no category specific improvements are planned.

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Bibliography

1. AGEB, 2013a: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Energiebilanzen (Hrsg.): Energiebilanz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland; URL: http://www.ag-energiebilanzen.de/DE/daten-und-fakten/bilanzen-1990-2011/bilanzen-1990-2011.html, (Aufruf: 12.02.2014), Köln, Berlin.

2. AGEB, 2013b: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Energiebilanzen (Hrsg.): DIW, 2013: Energiebilanzen für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Methodische Änderungen ab 2010 und Revisionen 2003 bis 2009, Berlin, im Oktober 2012 - URL: http://www.ag-energiebilanzen.de/index.php?article_id=29&fileName=revision_der_energiebilanzen_2003_bis_2009_05.pdf (Aufruf: 12.02.2014)

3. DFIU, 2002: Rentz, O.; Karl, U.; Peter, H.: Ermittlung und Evaluierung von Emissionsfaktoren für Feuerungsanlagen in Deutschland für die Jahre 1995, 2000 und 2010; Forschungsbericht 299 43 142 im Auftrag des Umweltbundesamtes; Dezember 2002.