Economic Aspects of Electrically Driven Compressor Stations for Natural Gas Pipelines

The reduction in capital cost and the changing relationship of energy costs combine to make electrically driven compressors an attractive alternative to the most advanced gas powered compressor stations for natural gas pipelines. On a typical 1250-mi pipeline with 20 000-hp compressor stations, electric drives will cut capital costs to one-half and produce annual savings of $12 million. This paper presents relative cost estimates for complete compressor stations, system power requirements, and costs of ownership and operation.