“Construction of the Mila Compressor Station is progressing safely and as planned. We’re now entering the final commissioning stages, which means we’re on track to complete the project ahead of schedule,” said Project Director Expansion Projects, Sean Ward.

The Eastern Gas Pipeline transports natural gas extracted from beneath the icy waters of Bass Strait, just off the Victorian coast.

The gas is processed to pipeline quality, compressed at the nearby Longford Compressor Station and then transported by the pipeline to NSW.

Mila Compressor Station further compresses the gas to increase the delivery capacity of the pipeline.

The central part of the installation, the compressor and gas turbine engine, were shipped by sea from the manufacturer, Solar Turbines in California, USA, and delivered to the site on a wide-load semi-trailer from the docks of Melbourne.

An 80 tonne crane big enough to lift the 22 tonne “package” onto its concrete foundation took a day to travel the 450 kilometres from its base in Wollongong to the Mila site.

Major pipe and valve works were carried out to connect the compressor and turbine into the existing pipeline without interruption to gas supply. To accomplish these works very detailed safety plans were put in place and strictly followed.

Other major works included the installation of buildings, ancillary equipment and extensive control and communication systems to monitor and manage the operation of the Compressor Station.

Particularly in the initial stages and at other times during construction, local contractors and skills were used demonstrating the value that local input provides to such a complex project.

The commissioning process that takes place over a period of six to eight weeks involves the running and testing of the compressor and all its ancillary equipment including the control systems.

“This is a very critical part of the project where we must ensure that every piece of equipment and all the safety systems work as designed. When commissioning is completed the compressor is put into regular service and will boost the delivery capacity of the pipeline by 15 percent to meet growing demand for gas in NSW,” said Sean.