Laser beam pipeline welding in the Greifswald region

Since 2012, the combination of laser beam welding and girth weld testing in a single process has been the subject of several partial projects under the management of SLV Halle. Within the framework of a pilot project, laser beam welding has been successfully tested under tough field conditions. The construction of a high-pressure gas pipeline near Greifswald in Germany by ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH presented itself as a golden opportunity for this pilot project, with the welded joints being tested under stresses resembling those involved in the operation of a high-pressure gas pipeline. This article reports about the experience gained along the 1,000 m test section. The project marked the commissioning and start-up of the world’s first ever laser beam welded high-pressure gas pipeline.