• Defining what a pressure reduction station should and could achieve

• Reviewing and assessing new and current technologies for pressure control and energy recovery/storage

• Developing concepts and agreeing a scope of technical requirements

• Producing a high level design assessment including analysis of potential devices, sizing, performance and economic factors

• Producing a feasibility report including recommendations and preparing detailed design requirements and costing proposals for a potential follow on project to advance the TRL of this Method.

Upon successful completion of this work, SGN will determine whether further research and development, which would include full system design, prototype testing and field trials, would have sufficient benefits to justify further stages.

The Project has had to be extended by 5 months, concluding in January 2016. Additional time has been required by the Project Partner, The University of Strathclyde, following the identification and selection of the new potential system. This is an important but complex process as the system must meet SGN requirements. As a result, it was important for the purposes of the testing for SGN to provide the Project Partner with a full suite of information and data, including pressures, flows and power usage to charge a data logger for a typical site etc. The Project Partner has now established how the technology and results will affect the GDN requirements in relation to the original problem definition. They are now able to progress to the next stage and continue as planned.

This will enable the off-site trials to be completed at the University, provide time for an assessment of the technology and proposed equipment which will benefit the accuracy of the Project outcome and implementation recommendations.

This highlights the importance of determining the technical aspects of the Project at an earlier stage, in this case it was necessary for an additional 5 months for the designs to be clarified. Another lesson learned from this is the importance of communicating with the university on a regular basis to ensure that they are engaged and understand the Scope of the Project.

By confirming the applicable test are performed against the original scope the proposed technology could be applied to the networks and benefit in the outcomes of the Project. The change is needed to allow the Project to progress to a successful conclusion and the benefits to be realised. There is no change to the expected benefits or cost of the Project. The change is needed to allow the Project to progress to a successful conclusion and the benefits to be realised.

The Project title, problem, objectives, success criteria and cost arrangements as previously outlined in the original PEA document will remain unchanged.

Benefits

• The identification of new potential devices and techniques

• Evaluate the benefits and limitations of the new devices

• The identification of the device/s which could provide the greatest benefits

• Establishing the level of energy which can be potentially be recovered or recycled through different techniques.