\nA large proportion of the pipework converges in the culvert, The gallery is filled with piping modules, most of which will soon be hidden below ground level. This is unusual: in industry, such pipework galleries are usually located above ground, so that they are easily accessible for inspection and maintenance.<\/p>\n
Amongst the underground pipelines are the CO\u2082 pipes. The 42-inch pipeline carries CO\u2082 at low pressure from Pernis to the compressor station. The 16-inch pipeline transports the CO\u2082, once it has been pressurised to high pressure, onwards to platform P18-A. There are also pipes for transporting the cooling water for the oil and CO\u2082 plant. The heated water released during this process will soon be put to good use. \u201cWe will use this residual heat, amongst other things, to heat our office and maintenance building.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Everything below ground level Quality you won\u2019t see later on Around the heat exchanger building, too, a tangle of pipes is being buried underground. For example, the GRE pipe is still visible at the moment, but it will soon be covered with sand. Although GRE is not susceptible to corrosion, it remains essential to work with care. \u201cSmall stones or pieces of shell, for example, can cause leaks. That simply must not happen. That\u2019s why we\u2019re constantly monitoring quality here too, with checks and inspections.\u201d<\/p>\n One chance to get it right<\/strong> There are no pipes whatsoever beneath the compressor building. But there are plenty beneath the surrounding site. \u201cIt\u2019s truly bizarre what lies underground in various places on this site,\u201d says Evert van den Berg, P\/M (Piping\/Mechanical) Superintendent at Porthos. A large proportion of the pipework will soon be out of sight. That is precisely why […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5165,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong>The fact that the culvert will soon lie below ground level calls for extra attention. \u201cIf you ever need to access it for maintenance in the future, it will be quite a major undertaking: the sand will first have to be dredged away to gain access to the pipes. That is why it is essential to pay very close attention now to the choice of materials, inspections and quality controls. \u201cThe pipes, for example, have a PE shell \u2013 a plastic protective layer that is highly resistant to salt and groundwater. Aluminium is not an option at all in an area like the Maasvlakte. In fact, you\u2019re in an offshore environment here that places very high demands on the equipment.\u201d
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\n<\/strong>As the pipework will soon be largely hidden from view, any weak points must be detected at an early stage. The coating is therefore subjected to extensive testing. One such test is the holiday test, or spark test. \u201cIt\u2019s got nothing to do with holidays; it\u2019s a technical term from the coatings industry,\u201d says Evert with a laugh. \u201cThe spark test checks whether the coating is completely intact and contains no tiny holes, cracks or other damage anywhere. If you do find any, you can apply an extra layer so that the coating is guaranteed to last for decades.\u201d
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.porthosco2.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GRE-leiding-Porthos-300x197.jpg\")
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\nFor Evert, ensuring quality is therefore the biggest challenge of his work on this project. \u201cThat quality really must be optimal and carried out with precision. There\u2019s only one chance to get it right, and that\u2019s now. So we\u2019re keeping a close eye on it.\u201d
\nThese checks begin as early as the prefabrication stage. The material is then checked again before and during installation. \u201cIt might seem like a duplication of effort, but it\u2019s necessary for pipework that will soon be largely inaccessible. What we\u2019re installing with such care now must function reliably for years to come.\u201d
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\nReady for the future<\/strong>
\nFurthermore, the design of the compressor station has already taken future expansion into account. \u201cSpace has been set aside in the compressor building for the expansion of Aramis, as well as for the pipework.\u201d In this way, we are not only building today\u2019s infrastructure, but also laying the foundations underground for tomorrow\u2019s CO\u2082 infrastructure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"