A major expansion phase is underway at the Ruhrgas natural gas storage plant at Epe on the border between West Germany and the Netherlands. The plant already has 8 caverns with a total working capacity of approx. 350 × 106 m3 (n). 28 caverns are to be added, to bring the total to approx. 1.0 × 109 m3 (n). In view of the increase in capacity, it was necessary to raise the power installed for driving gas compressors from the existing figure of approx. 3,000 kW to a total of 12,000 kW in phase II. A minimum of 2 units were required for this figure of 9,000 kW.
Epe is already the second largest natural gas storage facility in West Germany and is designed to store both low BTU and high BTU natural gas. The facilities are operated at a wide range of pressures and flow rates. The new compressor units will be used only for gas injection at well head pressures of up to 200 bar.