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Achieving Future Hydrogen Demand
This project constitutes a research study assessing the future demand for hydrogen across SGN regions and the role SGN infrastructure could play in facilitating access to hydrogen.
As the UK transitions to a low-carbon energy future, gas networks must consider how strategic utilisation of existing assets can be realised. Using SGN’s extensive gas network to carry hydrogen instead of natural gas would be a major step towards decarbonisation. This repurposing necessitates an understanding of both the technical feasibility of repurposing pipelines to carry hydrogen, and future hydrogen demand requirements.
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Alt Pipe
As the owner of the National Transmission System (NTS), National Gas is committed to responsibly managing our redundant assets in a manner that contributes to a sustainable, lower-carbon future by decommissioning them responsibly, refurbishing for re-use where viable, and/or or changing their purpose where possible. This discovery project will identify decommissioned elements of redundant pipework on the transmission system which are unlikely to be used for refurbishment or part of any wider repurposing of the core network, and explore the potential of repurposing these for alternative uses including the storage and/or transmission of electrical energy, heat, fuels, water and data.
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Application of Functional Blending - Testing a Market-led Approach
Wales & West Utilities has developed a Regional Decarbonisation Pathway to provide an overarching strategic plan for the network in Wales and the South West of England. To deliver that pathway, more detailed assessment and planning is required to facilitate the progression of opportunities in particular areas.
In 2023, WWU supported Cadent as the lead partner in the development and delivery of a Functional Blending Specification (FBS) which has progressed the technical understanding of how blending equipment can be practically applied within the context of existing gas network assets (https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA_CAD0079/). In 2023, UK Government affirmed their support for network blending whilst networks have continued to develop evidence in support of blending since (Hydrogen blending in GB distribution networks: strategic decision - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).
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Assessing Energy Impacts via Thermal Analysis
The project aims to use a vehicle-mounted thermal camera and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect heat loss from homes on a city-wide scale. The data will be used to assess the condition of a property regarding its ability to retain heat and provide tailored recommendations addressing insulation problems. This critical first step allows for better targeting of necessary retrofits and offers a scientifically measured alternative or complementary approach to traditional EPC.
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Asset Compatibility Assessment Tool for Transmission
Following completion of Phase 2 of the H21 Hydrogen Ready Components project, this project will look to extend the methodology developed under this project to encompass the assessment of assets operating above 7 barg. The assessment tool will be incorporated into the LTS Futures blueprint methodology for repurposing existing Natural Gas transmission assets to hydrogen. The scope will include transmission assets above 7 barg and up to the maximum transmission pressure of 94 barg and will focus on the conversion to 100% hydrogen. Assets in scope will cover both above and below ground assets, and include bends, valves, regulators, slam shuts, relief valves, and pig traps. Assets excluded include pipelines, compressors and cast iron components.
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Asset Records Readiness for Hydrogen
The project will evaluate and deliver a plan that ensures our asset records are suitably complete to support the net zero transition.
The project will reduce uncertainty and risk and provide a more realistic proximation of asset data.
The HSE has indicated that it will be unable to support a network’s hydrogen safety case until they receive “a clear plan for checking unknown assets and how networks will ensure that only suitable materials are present in the network”. This includes our transmission pipelines.
Additionally, for the marginal extra effort, it would be prudent to ensure the completeness of our asset records is sufficient for us to either plan for the conversion to hydrogen or decommission sections as users switch to other heating technologies.
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Augmented Reality Futures Close
Augmented Reality (AR) technology will be used at Futures Close to convey and inform various audiences including vulnerable consumers about various property archetypes, their construction, heat loss, and the type of retrofit solutions (heating systems, controls, fabric improvements) available to improve the level of domestic energy efficiency. AR will be used to inform, educate and engage audiences on-site at Futures Close as well as off-site at conferences and meetings avoiding the need to facilitate multiple visits on site. Live data feeds will also be visualised, illustrating room-by-room temperature, humidity as well as other metrics providing an engaging, interactive and informative asset for Futures Close.
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Biomethane Islands
To achieve decarbonisation targets all gas network operators in the UK need to demonstrate that the gas network can safely, technically and economically facilitate the distribution of low-carbon gases (biomethane and hydrogen). In response to this challenge, SGN aim to review the feasibility of the formation of biomethane islands in their Scotland area of operation. The outputs of this project will establish a business model for the optimisation of biomethane injection and formation of biomethane islands across the UK’s gas network. A feasibility study will address key areas including regulatory, technical, environmental, social, and commercial aspects as well as comprehensively assess the viability of developing Biomethane Islands. The outcome of the feasibility study will be to inform decision-making regarding project implementation. This will be captured and delivered in a comprehensive report and financial model of the business case. These islands will serve as models for sustainable living, demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of a circular economy approach to energy production and waste management and offer a low disruption option for the decarbonisation of all classes of gas consumers - Industrial, Commercial, and Domestic.
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Carbon Networks
As the UK transitions to a low-carbon energy future, gas networks must consider how strategic utilisation of existing assets can be realised. GDNs must also consider adjacent markets such as CCUS and its role in the supply chain now and in the future. The project will take a pragmatic approach to provide SGN with an assessment of the role of the gas network in the growing UK CCUS market
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Cominglo – Blended CV Measurement Point
This project seeks to improve the accuracy of CV measurement in gas networks which distribute blended gas streams. Element Digital Engineering will address this by first studying the physics of gas blending in the gas network using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). A wide range of simulations will enable the effects of different designs and mixing technologies to be understood in relation to the various gases under consideration. The predictions of these CFD studies will be validated through the design and development of a rig to simulate blending in the network. The overall results of these studies will be used to develop a tool that can be deployed within the gas networks to facilitate the accurate prediction of co-mingling, and subsequent CV measurement points supporting the design of blending systems.
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Commercial Vehicle Fleet – Development of Total Cost of Operation Model
Decarbonisation of UK transport, and the related Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate requires companies to transition their commercial vehicle fleets to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) or alternative new emerging technologies (e.g. FCEC). As an operational utility network with responsibility for public safety WWU’s fleet undergoes a more challenging and varied range of duty cycles than most commercial fleets, includes vehicles that are required to provide on-site power, and must be capable of meeting WWU’s statutory duty to respond quickly to Public Reported Escapes.
Within this challenging operational context, WWU must deliver a fleet transition at the lowest feasible cost to assure value for money for our customers. This is further complicated by the need to plan the fleet transition while the associated technological and policy landscape continues to evolve in parallel. Although the learnings generated from the project will be specific to WWU’s fleet as a case study, they will be applicable to any networks with an operational fleet.
To assure a cost-effective transition and derisk future operations, WWU require a Total Cost of Operation (TCO) model. This will be specifically targeted at our particular operational context, capable of assessing the costs and capabilities of a range of ZEV options, and crucially must be easy for staff to adopt for internal use and update in the future as new data and/or technologies become available.
The purpose of this project is to provide WWU with a TCO model that addresses our specific operational requirements, ensuring that plans and investment decisions will be grounded in real-world technology assessments and our operational fleet data.
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Decentralised Alliance for South West Hydrogen (DASH)
Early cluster projects will not benefit I&C customers that are located away from industrial clusters and are traditionally more distributed in nature. These customers are unlikely to have access to hydrogen infrastructure developed through the primary industrial clusters. This presents the need for an alternative solution.
This project will explore the concept of how a larger number of low-volume hydrogen producers can support I&C customers in the absence of natural ‘clustering’ and high-volume production by using the South West region of WWU’s network as a case study. This will be done by exploring the whole systems concept of a gas network which is driven by distributed green hydrogen production at strategic locations where there is access to both gas and electricity grid infrastructure.
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Decentralised System Resilience
This project constitutes a research study investigating the opportunities for gas network infrastructure to support storage and balancing in a decentralised UK energy system. The research will consider how a decentralised system might look in the UK from now until 2030, and onto 2050. An evaluation will be made of how other countries are approaching decentralisation, identifying examples the UK could draw on. Consideration will be given to how grid balancing will be achieved across various scenarios of peak demand and particular geographic locations in the UK and what challenges and opportunities this presents to gas networks.
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Demonstrating Downstream Procedures For Hydrogen
This project involves a comprehensive set of tasks aimed at implementing and validating a domestic safety system for hydrogen use, including excess flow valves.
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Determining Future Energy Demand of B&R Team Vans with Full On-Board Power
Wales & West Utilities is undertaking a major programme of change to support decarbonisation and deliver a Net Zero gas network. Decarbonisation of the vehicle fleet is an integral component of that programme.
WWU operates a fleet of nearly 1,400 commercial vehicles, the majority of these being vans up to 3.5 tonnes GVW. Our fleet – mostly diesel-fuelled - plays a crucial role in providing a safe and efficient service. In addition to our vehicle fleet, WWU operates ~ 900 items of mobile plant, including mini diggers and a wide range of trailers, many of which are specialised.
WWU vans carry a wide range of power-operated tools and equipment, some of this currently being powered by hydrocarbon fuels, some by electricity and some by compressed air. Approximately a third of our van fleet (~400 units) is equipped with ‘full on-board power’ – a compressor and generator, mounted under the van floor and mechanically driven by the diesel engine and operating as a source of on-site power.
This group of vehicles primarily supports below-ground network repair and replacement activity: it is a significant energy consumer, so to help us understand how we can make an operationally cost-effective transition to zero emissions, it is the on-site energy requirements of the tools and equipment powered by this group that Cenex will evaluate for this project. This evaluation will provide information which can take account of (and feed in to) a range of different scenarios for the fleet in the future, such as changes to the number and type of vans allocated to particular teams and projects.
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Digital Decommissioning of Large-Scale Equipment
As the Gas Transmission network responds to a changing energy system, from drivers including the transition to net zero and to changes in supply and demand, we are required to decommission our large site based assets in certain locations. Decommissioning is a multifaceted endeavour that goes beyond the conclusion of an asset’s lifespan and encompasses a complex deconstruction process. This project will implement an innovative AI tool to help National Gas manage decommissioning to drive benefits such as increasing the accuracy of cost estimation, ways to reduce carbon emissions, identify re-use potential and lower the overall time taken to decommission.
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Energy Plan Translator
Develop a flexible and adaptable toolset for the rapid analysis of Local Area Energy Plans (LAEPs). This will convert qualitative statements to quantified metrics and identify key network specific planning parameters.
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Enhancement of the anaerobic digestion process for biomethane production
The UK Government recognised that domestic biomethane production can play a significant role in decarbonising energy supplies. However, biomethane production plants face technical and operational challenges. Currently the content of biomethane within biogas produced from the anaerobic digestion (AD) process is often only around 50%. This partial conversion results in lower yields for AD operators and an increase in costly gas scrubbing requirements. The increased presence of impurity gases also increases requirement for propanation to increase the calorific value, high in both cost and carbon footprint.
This project seeks to address these challenges through the injection of green hydrogen into the AD process in specific quantities and at specific times to achieve greater conversion of carbon dioxide to biomethane within the acetogenesis stage of the AD process, thereby increasing the yield whilst reducing the need for gas scrubbing and propanation.
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Fairer Warmth Hub
The Fairer Warmth Hub (FWH) connects stakeholders of the Net Zero Transition through place-based strategies, providing tools and guidance to facilitate local energy plans and enhance collaboration. The FWH integrates digital tools and community engagement to facilitate effective communication and planning among diverse stakeholders, including households, small businesses, and local authorities. FWH is designed to bridge the gap in the energy transition by providing tailored support to these stakeholders, ensuring that the transition is inclusive and just. The FWH integrates three core elements:
- Trained ‘Champions’ – Volunteers or staff, known as Champions, are recruited and trained to support community engagement, helping to build trust and reduce miscommunication in local energy initiatives.
- Digital Tools (Virtual Assets) – Innovative digital tools (App + Website) and resources are used to facilitate energy transition planning and community engagement, particularly assisting Customer In Vulnerable Situation (CIVS) and those who are digitally excluded.
- Community Centres (Non-Virtual Assets) – Physical community hubs serve as accessible locations for hands-on support, providing a space for CIVS and other stakeholders to engage directly in the energy transition.
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Finding the Hidden Vulnerable
This innovation project proposal is centred on trialling the development of a predictive model to identify customers in vulnerable situations whose heat comes from Cadent delivered gas that are missing out on the protections that the Priority Service Register (PSR) brings because they are “hidden” behind a non-domestic supply contract. The aim of the predictive model would be to aid Cadent to find these customers so that it can be ensured that they receive the support that they need in the event of an interruption to supply.
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