Future Energy Networks

Existing defect assessments and repair methodologies are aligned with the T/PM/P/11 and T/PM/P/20 management procedures and are adopted to inspect, assess and repair the pipelines for defects and take suitable measures to reduce them. However, the scope and applicability of the repair techniques in the presence of high-pressure hydrogen remain uncertain. The key questions which form an outline of the project are:

1. What are the different types of defects, we may encounter or consider injurious in the presence of hydrogen?
2. What is the impact of hydrogen on each defect type? Have the mechanisms of failure changed for each defect type after hydrogen-natural gas blending?
3. Will the existing repair techniques be applicable under transmission of high-pressure hydrogen and hydrogen-natural gas blends?
4. Can we implement the defect assessment, inspection and repair methodologies safely? Are the techniques safe and suitable for the pipeline operations and maintenance teams?

The project seeks to answer the above in addition to understanding the types and extent of repairs across the NTS and assess the impact of hydrogen on the effectiveness of these inspection, assessment and mitigation technologies.

Situation:

As National Grid ESO transitions to the NESO it will take on the role of Regional Energy Strategic Planners, which will bring a focus on the alignment of Local Area Energy Plans and distribution network planning.

Complication:

Current regional distribution network future energy scenarios are produced by electricity distribution networks. Gas distribution networks do not have an equivalent activity Accordingly, regional and local area energy planning in not informed by a balanced consideration of all energy vectors.

Solution:

An agile and easy to use Whole Energy Systems Pathway (WESP) tool, with detailed temporal and spatial investment planning capabilities, to enable a regional whole energy system planning capability which informs gas network planning, as well as inform national, regional and local planners, in an objective, evidence based. way

National Gas are investigating the use of the National Transmission System to transport hydrogen and hydrogen blends. To support this, research and testing is required to understand the risks of high pressure hydrogen transmission, including ignition. This project will identify, for 100% hydrogen and blends of hydrogen up to 20%, the sources of ignition including how the distance of ignition sources affects the likelihood of ignition. It will also investigate the frequency and the different types of ignition events e.g. jet fires. Lastly, it will look at the probability of ignition on sites and in pipework.

This project has enormous potential to benefit all customers in vulnerable situations as it will provide accurate assessment of communities and all interested parties to provide suitable support to the area. This will enable GDN, DNO, Electricity transmission, and Gas transmission partners such as community groups to specifically target areas with relevant support, this will allow project partners to accurately provide information which will be bespoke to the specific needs of the area such as Carbon Monoxide awareness, Priority Services Register messaging, increasing awareness and registrations.

It will allow GDN’s or other service providers to enlist support for VCMA, BAU or NIA projects directly addressing the needs of communities, rather than adopting a broad-brush approach which has been the traditional approach. This system will present itself as the very foundation for future years projects and investments, specifically as we progress through the energy system transition which will help address the very real and ever-changing needs of communities and vulnerable customers groups by putting data at the front and centre of future decision making for GDN’s and partners.

Repurposing of natural gas pipelines made of carbon steel for use with hydrogen blends requires a fitness-for-service analysis as part of the hydrogen use safety case. Girth welds of an unknown quality exist in the Local Transmission System (LTS). In hydrogen service these welds would have a greater susceptibility to fracture failure due to material embrittlement caused by interaction of steel material with hydrogen.

Current inspection methods do not routinely inspect girth welds for defects. Deterministic defect assessment models require the use of conservative assumptions for defect sizes, material properties and loading. This can lead to overly pessimistic conclusions about the suitability of pipelines with girth welds for use with hydrogen.

More detailed probability-based assessments are required to reduce the inherent pessimism in deterministic calculation methods. This would provide confidence of the safety and allow for greater use of the LTS with hydrogen and contribute to a quicker and cheaper energy transition for the UK gas network.

This project will undertake testing on technology for distributed production of low carbon hydrogen from natural gas, biogas or other short chain hydrocarbons from waste. Which uses 90% less electricity than electrolysis of water and with 68% lower total energy costs.

The project will support early movers and convert gas from our network into a low carbon hydrogen solution. The compact and modular deployment of the technology enables hydrogen production systems to be installed directly at the energy user's site. These systems convert grid-supplied natural gas to hydrogen on demand, eliminating the need for additional infrastructure or on-site hydrogen storage, and leaves the rest of the network unaffected

This project will assess the application of Rising Pressure Reformer (RiPR) technology to produce a tuneable blend of biogenic methane and hydrogen, supporting the decarbonisation of gas networks. The project will focus on the how control of the gas produced would fit with requirements for network injection, and assessing locations for connection.

Significant efforts are required to support the transition of our energy systems moving away from carbon-intensive fuels such as coal, diesel, petrol and gas, towards cleaner sources of power generation such as wind, solar, nuclear and hydrogen. There is a potential for hydrogen to play a hugely significant role in our energy system, the extent of which will be driven by a range of factors, including the ability to transport it to where it is needed. There have been recent positive decisions for hydrogen’s potential uses in blending, transportation, domestic heating and industry. To produce sufficient hydrogen to meet this potential need, it will be important to increase and diversify hydrogen production methods.

As nuclear is a reliable and consistent source of clean energy that is unaffected by external factors such as the weather, Northern Gas Networks and Wales and West Utilities would like to investigate the possible use of nuclear power as a method of delivering the future increased demand in hydrogen production. This project will explore the opportunity for hydrogen production from nuclear to support a net zero transition across the gas network.

Benefits of nuclear-enabled hydrogen (NEH) in the context of gas distribution networks (GDNs) will be explored, building on the established benefits of nuclear energy production.

The overall project outcome is that NGN, WWU, and other stakeholders are sufficiently informed to determine whether further investment and integration of nuclear-enabled hydrogen to transition plans are justified, and how a potential first project could take its next step to deployment through securing technology licences, sites, off takers and financing.

This project will investigate the potential impacts of district heating on the gas network, whether its viable for the network to support district heating and what repurposing would be required.