Increasing the safety standard

Underground gas storage, as a complex of technological equipment and natural structures, serves as a significant stabilizing element of the gas infrastructure. Its task is to store hundreds of millions of cubic meters of gas at very high pressures. The combination of these two factors, along with the physical properties of natural gas, naturally creates a certain level of risk of hazardous situations. Considering that the underground gas storage operates 24/7 and any interruption in its services would have a significant impact on the rest of the gas infrastructure, it is necessary to implement technical and organizational measures to minimize these risks. One of the range of security measures included the installation of safety shut-off valves on the DN700 PN80 pipeline. One safety shut-off valve is installed near the Underground Gas Storage Facility of Dolní Bojanovice, while two additional shut-off valves are located roughly halfway along the pipeline, in the area of the Hrušky Trunk Valve. By installing these valves, we have gained the capability to shut down the pipeline, which is over 28 km long, and divide it into multiple sections. In the event of an emergency situation, this would reduce the exposure time and mitigate the impact on the surrounding area. These safety shut-off valves can be controlled through the security control system using operator's commands and safety sequences. They can also operate autonomously and close automatically in case of a significant drop in gas pressure in the pipeline. Finally, it should be noted that by installing safety shut-off valves, our company has contributed to enhancing the operational safety of the storage facility. This, in practice, means raising the standard of protecting the health of employees, company assets, and last but not least, the increased safety of the public in the area where we operate.