Three intelligent gas flow meters from SICK Automation commissioned at the end of 2016 helped natural gas supplier Egoli Gas reduce its unaccounted gas (UAG) by a significant amount. That success that has now been replicated on a much larger scale across the gas supplier’s distribution infrastructure, with 29 additional flow meters being delivered at the end of 2017.

The meters – the FLOWSIC500, FLOWSIC600 and FLOWSIC600-XT – supply the level of accuracy required for quantifying low flow rates that was not possible with typical mechanical gas meters, providing a greater operational and process transparency that allows the gas supplier to reduce issues of losses, incorrect billing and theft.

 “These smart solutions have greatly improved the transparency of our processes, enabling us to gauge and analyse consumption and gas flow in real time for different flow ranges,” explains Emmanuel Matodzi, Technical Manager, Egoli Gas. “Apart from a technologically superior and high-reliability product, SICK provided a level of assistance and support across the project that exceeded our expectations.”

Egoli Gas provides gas to 7 500 domestic, commercial and industrial users in the area. The company operates a 1 800-km gas distribution network that dates back to 1892.