Horgos First Compressor Station Surpasses 600 Billion Cubic Meters in Cumulative Natural Gas Transmission

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 22, the Horgos First Compressor Station of PipeChina West Pipeline Company surpassed 600 billion cubic meters in cumulative natural gas transmission. Since its commissioning in 2009, this "leading station" of the Second and Third West-East Gas Pipeline routes has operated safely and steadily for 17 years, continuously providing solid support for national energy security, China-Central Asia energy cooperation, and regional green development.

Located at a key hub along the "Belt and Road" initiative, the Horgos First Compressor Station is responsible for delivering transnational natural gas from Central Asia and coal-based gas from Ili to central and eastern China, with an annual transmission capacity of 60 billion cubic meters and a total natural gas compressor power exceeding 240 megawatts, ranking first in installed capacity among single stations in Asia. The station has established a dual-gas-source complementary pattern of "cross-border imported gas + local coal-based gas"—externally connected to Lines A, B, and C of the Central Asia-China natural gas pipeline, and internally integrated with local coal-based gas from Ili Prefecture, deepening China-Central Asia energy cooperation while promoting the clean conversion and local value-added utilization of Xinjiang's coal resources. The 600 billion cubic meters of natural gas, delivered through the main West-East Gas Pipeline network, reaches 27 provincial-level regions and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region across the country, stably safeguarding the energy needs of over 500 million people, supporting industrial production in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and other regions, and continuously optimizing the national energy consumption structure.

Green and low-carbon development is a core highlight of the Horgos First Compressor Station. Leveraging waste heat from compressor units, the station has built the country's first waste heat power generation project at a natural gas transmission station, recovering waste heat from units to achieve zero direct emissions from station units, with an average annual power generation exceeding 65 million kWh, significantly reducing external electricity purchases and forming a replicable and scalable "Horgos Solution" for energy conservation and carbon reduction. The station has also advanced green projects such as photovoltaic power generation and vented natural gas recovery, embedding low-carbon principles throughout the entire production, operation, and maintenance process. The large-scale substitution of natural gas for high-pollution fuels such as coal and heavy oil has reduced emissions of pollutants including carbon dioxide and sulfides. The 600 billion cubic meters of natural gas is equivalent to replacing approximately 798 million tonnes of standard coal, corresponding to a reduction of 877 million tonnes of carbon dioxide and 435 million tonnes of dust emissions, strongly supporting air pollution prevention and the achievement of the "dual carbon" goals.

Intelligent operation and maintenance is a key driver for improving station performance and ensuring supply. Since 2025, the Horgos First Compressor Station has continuously increased investment in digital technologies, improved its intelligent operation and maintenance system, and implemented PipeChina's smart station construction, integrating equipment such as pan-tilt laser methane detectors and compressor intelligent diagnostic analysis systems to enable real-time monitoring of unit and pipeline network operating status, early prediction of potential risks, and a shift in equipment maintenance from post-event handling to preventive management. Frontline young technical personnel have built BI data analysis and low-code business platforms, breaking down production data silos and leveraging digital tools to improve quality and efficiency.

As a national energy artery connecting Central Asia with the domestic market, the Horgos First Compressor Station plays the pivotal role of the "1" in the pipeline network within the "X+1+X" oil and gas market system, deepening China-Central Asia energy cooperation through safe, efficient, and green gas transmission practices, and continuously contributing to safeguarding national energy security and promoting the high-quality development of the "Belt and Road" initiative.