Reaching a total cost of 3.9 Billion USD, Baku-Tbilisi- Ceyhan Oil Pipeline with its 1768km length is one of the first mega-projects of the 21st century, which provides a gateway of the Caspian oil reserves to the world. The pipeline passes through three countries starting from the Caspian Sea, and ending at the terminal in Ceyhan with a total of 8 pumping stations, two in Azerbaijan, two in Georgia and four in Turkey.
Considering the start of the construction was in April 2003, the project has been completed in a quite short period, 25 months, with the start of oil pumping in May 2005. Azerbaijan and Georgia parts were completed by a joint venture between CCI (Greece), SPIE CAPAG (France) and PETROFAC (England). Turkish part was completed by Turkish companies under the main subcontracting services of Botas Company.
EEC has completed the installation and commissioning of the fire alarm and very sensitive smoke detection systems in the pump stations in Azerbaijan and Georgia sections under the agreement signed with PETROFAC. System engineering, material procurement and application was carried out by EEC. System design and equipment selection was performed according to the British fire alarm standard BS 5839 and also BP's criteria, who is the pipeline operator and the largest shareholder.
Over the same period, EEC has also completed the fire alarm system of the pumping station for SCP (South Caucasus Pipe Line) which was being built with the BTC crude oil pipeline simultaneously.
Pump station fire alarm system covers all of the main buildings (the main control building, power station, workshop and warehouse buildings, social facilities and guest house, the fire pump building and security building).Every building has an individual analogue addressable fire alarm control panel and the corresponding detector and buttons. The system does not contain its own network communications, however each building’s fire alarm panel sends alarm and fault information to the SCADA system that controls the pipeline. LPCB certified Ziton analogue addressable fire alarm system was used in the project.
Specially requested by BP, VESDA air sampling smoke detectors were used in a very sensitive, mission-critical operation of the pipeline, in the main control room, data processing and telecom room, electrical rooms and their suspended ceilings and raised floors. In addition to all these areas, control cabinets that control the pipeline were protected with VESDA air sampling smoke detection system, which targets to detect fire risks, as early as possible.
