This final phase of ValveCare will further develop the inform, clean and protect toolkits and aims to build on the previous phases in order to deliver “Field Ready and Tested” tools that dovetail into National Grid’s Maintenance systems, as well as widen the range of specific conditions that can be addressed by the system.
Benefits
Once field ready, this work will provide the following benefits:
- Assess and measure the condition of assets (valves) in the network
- Captures data on the condition of valves on the network
- Allows valves to be repaired instead of excavated and replaced
- Projected Volume of Valve Replacements during RIIO-2 = 42
- Average Unit Cost of Valve Replacement = £368k
- Projected average cost of Valve Care Toolbox remediation = £35k/valve.
- Potential projected average cost saving due to Valve Care Toolbox = £333k valve.
- Projected percentage of effective valve stem remediation due to Valve Care Toolbox, negating valve replacement = 20% (9 valves)
- Potential cost savings due to Valve Care Toolbox = £3m during RIIO-2
- Enables Targeted, planned maintenance via a risk-based approach through the CM4 surveys
- Life extension of the network
Learnings
Outcomes
The ValveCare Project originated with a view to developing equipment and techniques to investigate if intervention without requiring excavation of the valve is possible. Steer Energy have used Operationally Driven Design principles to develop a four-tiered approach of Assess, Inform, Clean and Protect.
This Project has built on the valuable knowledge gained from previous work to provide enhanced capability. The Inform process has been developed to mirror and tie into the National Grid CM/4 process to objectively record the valve status in support of making well informed ongoing maintenance decisions. Clean capability has been extended with the development of jetting equipment to provide enhanced cleaning within the annulus. Finally, the Protect operation has been taken from a concept to be a field proven system aimed at maintaining the current condition of valves to prevent future deterioration.
Four ValveCare Toolboxes have been put together containing the necessary equipment to perform ValveCare work, complete with the required documentation (manuals and procedures). These toolboxes are ready for operational deployment and should be introduced in conjunction with on-site operator training provided by Steer Energy personnel and NG Training Academy trainers. Knowing the capabilities of and limitations to the ValveCare Toolbox equipment is an important factor in understanding the value of the ValveCare project; site conditions vary enormously, and some valves have deteriorated in condition within their annulus to the extent that remote intervention will not regain their function. However, many valves are in good or excellent condition and here the ValveCare Assess and Inform actions offer valuable knowledge capture while the Protect operation can offer value in maintaining their current condition as far as possible. Some valves will be in the middle, in a relatively poor state within the annulus but still in a position where the Clean jetting and flushing equipment can make a meaningful difference in improving a valve’s condition and lengthening its useful service life.
Lessons Learnt
The following lessons have been taken from this work:
- Delays in identifying field sites and the required support for such, led to increased workload on contractor and delayed the field work into the final month of the project
- Obtaining Safe Control of Operations (SCO) Competent person approvals for ValveCare operations on live gas installations
