UK firm wins Gasunie tender for Southern North Sea pipeline

UK-based Kent Energies has secured a four-year framework agreement from the energy infrastructure company Gasunie to provide integrity management support services for a subsea pipeline in the Southern North Sea. 

This €2.4 million agreement, awarded through a negotiated EU-compliant process, covers both onshore and offshore services to maintain the integrity of the pipeline route between Bacton in the UK and Balgzand in the Netherlands.

Under the terms of this contract, Kent Energies will coordinate with Gasunie and third-party specialists to ensure the offshore pipeline’s reliability and operational integrity. 

The agreement includes potential options for two renewals, each lasting two years, offering an extended service horizon should additional support be required.

According to the tender notice, Kent Energies was the sole winner under LOT-0000.

In terms of other recent news coming from Gasunie, the company moved forward in September with the Port of Rotterdam CO2 transport hub and offshore storage (Porthos) project. Partnering with EBN and the Port of Rotterdam Authority, the joint venture recently finalized the design phase to convert the P18-A platform for CO2 storage, which will run unmanned and draw power from solar and wind sources to support permanent CO2 storage in a depleted North Sea gas field.

The Balgazand-Bacton Pipeline (BBL) pipeline underwent an inspection program in August, after the completion of previously announced maintenance. 

The bidirectional 235-kilometer subsea gas interconnection has been operational since 18 July 2019 with a maximum capacity of 15 bcm/y of direct flow between Balgzand in the Netherlands and Bacton in the UK and 5 bcm/y in the reverse direction.