Progress with the Iron Mains Replacement
Programme 2005 – 2006
- Under the Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996, regulation 13A, HSE
approved annual replacement programmes for the year 1 April 2005 to 31
March 2006 for the Distribution Networks (DNs) shown in Table 1. The
progress in meeting the national and individual network targets is
given.
- Nationally 3288 km of iron mains were decommissioned against an annual
approved target of 3286 km (which included a 34 km shortfall from 2004
– 5).
- HSE is satisfied the DNs met their approved programmes for 2005 –
2006 and nationally HSE’s enforcement policy
for the replacement of iron gas mains is being met.
-
As part of its monitoring
strategy and 5 year intervention plans for the DNs, HSE continues to
carry out mains replacement audits to check that mains are
decommissioned in accordance with the policies and procedures in the DNs’
Gas Safety (Management) Regulations 1996 safety cases.
-
HSE has approved
programmes for the Distribution Networks for the period 1 April 2006
to 31 March 2007.
Table 1 – Mains replacement performance 2005 – 6 by Distribution
Network
| Network |
Network operator |
Target (km) |
Actual (km) |
| All networks |
|
3286 |
3288 |
| Scotland |
Scotland Gas Networks plc |
250 |
250 |
| North of England |
Northern Gas Networks Limited |
482 |
482 |
| South of England |
Southern Gas Networks plc |
497 |
497 |
| Wales & West |
Wales & West Utilities Limited |
333 |
334 |
| North West |
National Grid Gas plc (NGG plc) |
469 |
1724 |
466 |
1724 |
| East of England |
634.5 |
640 |
| West Midlands |
330 |
336 |
| London |
290.5 |
282 |
Notes
During the year, HSE agreed revised targets with
National Grid Gas plc for the London and East of England Networks to
overcome operational difficulties in London. Whilst National Grid’s
overall target remained the same, the target for London was revised from
310.5 km to 290.5 km and the target for East of England was revised from
614.5 km to 634.5 km. HSE agreed the revision following a demonstration that
an equivalent amount of risk would be removed from the networks and that
risk profiles in each of the networks were comparable.
