Future Energy Networks

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.

National Gas Transmission (NGT) are committed to reducing emissions from the operation of the National Transmission System (NTS) and eliminating emissions by 2050. The transition to hydrogen provides an opportunity to reduce carbon and utilise the network for hydrogen refuelling for transport. The HyNTS Deblending for Hydrogen Transport project has involved the development of a UK-wide rollout strategy from ERM that lays out demand, clustering and potential locations for deblending supplied refuelling for transportation mapped against the NTS.

The project will aims to obtain further information on NRMM, maritime, cars, LGVs and mobile power to fully understand the hydrogen demand. It will also review the existing rollout strategy to ensure it is accurate and full captures the current hydrogen market given the changes in this landscape

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.

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.

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.

UK’s Net Zero Emissions Target and the Role of Hydrogen: The UK has committed to a legally binding net zero emissions target by 2050. Achieving this target necessitates the integration of hydrogen, particularly in hard-to-decarbonize industrial applications and peaking power generation. The recent publication of the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget highlights hydrogen’s significant role within the electricity supply sector. Hydrogen is identified as a crucial source of long-term storable energy that can be dispatched as needed and as a feedstock for synthetic fuels. For hydrogen to fully contribute to a future hydrogen system, its production, storage, and transportation must be considered collectively.

East Coast Hydrogen (ECH) Project: In recent years, Cadent, in partnership with National Gas and Northern Gas Networks (NGN), has developed the East Coast Hydrogen (ECH) Project. The ECH project aims to decarbonize primarily industry and power sectors. As part of this initiative, Cadent has developed the East Midlands Hydrogen Pipeline (EMHP), which aims to connect hydrogen production at Uniper’s Ratcliffe on Soar site to major industrial and power off-takers in the East Midlands. The project seeks to transport hydrogen to major population centres, including Nottingham, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Derby, and Burton upon Trent. During the development of the EMHP, it became evident that hydrogen storage plays a critical role in establishing a resilient and efficient hydrogen system. Consequently, a consortium was formed to explore the feasibility of storage, leading to the East Midlands Storage Project (EMSTOR).

Discovery Phase of EMSTOR: During the Discovery Phase, EMSTOR evaluated various technologies for large-scale hydrogen storage in the East Midlands. The technologies considered included lined rock caverns, lined rock shafts, silos, and geological storage options such as aquifers and disused hydrocarbon fields. After comparing these technologies against several technical parameters, including Technology Readiness Level (TRL), cost, size, and location relative to pipelines, it was determined that hydrogen storage in geological fields, particularly disused hydrocarbon fields, is the most viable option. Therefore, disused hydrocarbon fields in geological formations were selected for further consideration in the Alpha Phase.

Alpha Phase Consortium: To execute the Alpha Phase, a consortium led by Cadent and including Star Energy Ltd, Centrica Energy Storage, National Grid, British Geological Society, University of Edinburgh, and Uniper was established. This consortium will focus on advancing the feasibility and implementation of hydrogen storage in disused hydrocarbon fields.

Wales & West Utilities is undertaking a major programme of change to support decarbonisation and deliver a Net Zero gas network. The primary objective of this project is to investigate the effects of water ingress within a 100% hydrogen network and a blended hydrogen/natural gas network. The goal is to determine whether the introduction of hydrogen into the gas network could cause any additional impacts when water ingress occurs, and to compare these effects to those observed in the current natural gas network.

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.

This project will help to inform UK Gas Distribution Network Operators (GDNOs) and wider industry on the long-term suitability of existing Excess Flow Valve (EFV) designs in a future where hydrogen is being distributed in network pipelines. A risk to normal EFV functionality exists in the event that an ignition occurs within the downstream gas installation pipework and this project will help to understand the effectiveness of existing EFV designs to manage this risk, identifying any necessary modifications to existing EFV designs where appropriate.

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.