Maintenance Excellence NIS Gas Companies

Title of Project:         

Development of Maintenance Excellence in NIS Gas Companies.

Reference Number:  

EuropeAid/120572/C/SV/Multi

Action Programme:

TACIS Regional Action Programme 2004 (TACIS/2004/82052)

Beneficiary

Countries:

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Management Contact Details:

Lead Partner:

Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG

Stuttgart, Germany

+49 711 89 95 0 

Contact Persons:

Dr. Philip Butler

Tel: + 49 711 89 95 1437

Total Budget of Project:

 1.460.000 €

Equipment Suppliers:

 500.000 €

Sector of Activities:  

 Desk Study, Training and/or Technical Assistance

Start Date of Project:

 15th November 2005

End Date of Project:

 14th November 2007

Project Objectives:

The overall project objective is to enhance the security of the gas supply within the region and to Europe, by supporting the involved countries to keep existing gas transportation infrastructures functioning as safely and reliably as possible in order to meet both domestic and export/transit demands.

The specific project objective is to support the modernization of maintenance policies and practices in the gas Companies of the participating NIS countries, according to EU best practices, by facilitating the introduction of international standards and practices in maintaining gas transportation systems, taking into account environmental and safety concerns.

Project Brief Description of Activities / Approaches:

The planned activities of the project are as follows:

• Analysis of the existing maintenance practices implemented by the participating Gas Companies.
• Organization of training on site and/or study tours to EU countries for the management staff of the Gas Companies to introduce modern maintenance principles and operations in the gas transmission systems.
• Elaboration of a set of harmonized standards, norms and practices applicable to the countries based on EU best practices, which take into account the need for realistic low-cost, high impact preventive interventions.
• Support to the participating Gas Companies in the elaboration of maintenance manuals of best practices; each participating Gas Company will have its own manual on the basis of common and shared principles of good and preventive maintenance, in order to assure the standards harmonization between the participating countries.
• Identification of the training needs of the participating Gas Companies technical personnel.
• Organization of training sessions on site for the participating Gas Companies personnel, in order to undertake the practical transfer of know-how.
• Implementation of test maintenance actions.
• Identification of the IT equipment necessary to support a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).
• Preparation of the Technical Specifications in order to allow the relevant services of the European Commission in Brussels to launch the tender for the supply of the equipment required.
• Assistance to the EC for the delivery and installation of the equipment and for the eventual introduction of the CMMS.

Intended Results / Encountered Limitations:

The expected results are as follows:

• Indirect enhancement of the security of gas supplies within the regions themselves and to Europe.
• Support by the training program that the beneficiary countries are able to maintaining existing gas transportation infrastructures to function as safely and reliably as possible and to satisfy domestic and export/transit demands.
• Encouragement to the gas companies for them to modernize maintenance policies and practices in the gas Companies of the participating NIS countries, according to EU best practices.
• Setting forth and discussion of proposals as to the introduction of international standards and practices in maintaining gas transportation systems, taking into account environmental and safety concerns.
• Provision of support that preventive gas maintenance policy and practices in gas transportation systems are developed by the participating Gas Companies.
• Provision of support that participating Gas Companies improve maintenance practices up to international standards for gas transport systems.
• Provision of training programs to management staff that the Gas Companies may support the introduction of good maintenance practice.
• Provision of specific training for technical staff including practical transfer of know-how and introduction of latest and best EU equipment and practices.

Practical support to the CMMS equipment contractor in the implementation of the supply of IT equipment and associated support and training.

Status of the Project:

• The EC instructed that the IT part of the Project to be accelerated such that CMMS contract be concluded before the end of August 2006 and this objective was achieved. The draft tender dossier was delivered to EC on schedule according to instruction by end of May 2006.
• The EC advised that the Inception Phase be delayed till end of June 2006 and all associated activities were completed on time including visiting all the gas companies and completion of the desk study updates. Visits to each of the companies concerning requirements of the CMMS facility were carried individually by IT specialists in parallel to visits associated with the maintenance training.
• Due to completion of the Inception Phase as instructed, subsequent training activities coincided with holiday periods of the gas companies of July and August, when staff were not available for training. The next phase of the training at the companies thus commenced in September and is currently ongoing.
• Training activities are taking pace according to the approved Workplan, which accounts for the changes to the Terms of Reference as instructed by EC.
• Difficulties in dealing with 10 countries of disparate geographical location, background, resources and requirements continues to be a significant challenge but the intrinsic flexibility of the Workplan is serving to mitigate difficulties. Flexibility is a key tool of the planning and rescheduling of activities.
• Extreme difficulties in engaging all the companies and in dealing with bureaucratic and logistical hurdles are a characteristic of the project and remain a substantial challenge. However, significant progress has been made.
• Completion of the first round of training post Inception Phase, involving visiting individually each of the gas companies is taking place and should be completed by end 2006, co-operation of all companies notwithstanding.
• Coordination with the CMMS supply contractor has already commenced.

A workshop involving management representatives of all the companies is planned for the end of 2006 or beginning 2007. A detailed itinerary for the next principal activity, namely management training in the regions will be prepared in time for this event.

Expected Date of Special Events (if any):

A workshop involving management representatives of all the companies is planned for the end of 2006 or beginning 2007. A detailed itinerary for the next principal activity, namely management training in the regions will be prepared in time for this event.

Conclusions & Summaries:

Updated on:

 1 November 2006