Future Energy Networks

The Hydrogen Condition and Test Effect (HCATE) project will investigate the effect of moisture on fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) and the influence of loading rate on fracture toughness of API 5L X52 pipeline steel in hydrogen environments. The project will generate experimental data to improve understanding of how environmental conditions influence crack propagation behaviour and fracture resistance in pipeline steels.

Laboratory-scale testing will be conducted on representative pipeline material in air and pressurised gaseous hydrogen environments, including hydrogen saturated with water and hydrogen containing trace oxygen. These conditions are intended to simulate environmental conditions that may be present within pipeline systems.

Complementary fracture toughness testing will also be conducted at different loading rates to evaluate the influence of loading conditions on fracture resistance. The results will support the development of improved pipeline integrity assessments and contribute to the evidence base required for the safe repurposing of the UK Local Transmission System (LTS) for hydrogen transport.

The LTS Futures project aims to understand how the local transmission system (LTS) could be repurposed from Natural Gas to hydrogen. The project encompasses several elements which will feed into a blueprint methodology for repurposing the LTS to hydrogen. During one of the work elements, LTS Futures conducted full-scale testing of pipeline defects and small-bore connections exposed to hydrogen. Testing was conducted until failure to provide information for hydrogen pipeline design, standards, and operational procedures. This project will undertake further detailed analysis of the fracture surfaces to provide a visual confirmation of hydrogen diffusion into the pipeline microstructure and if this contributed to failure.

The key subject of HIRSA stage 2 projects is to understand if using hydrogen in the gas network will result in an increased likelihood of ignition from static discharge generated by particulates in flowing gas. Building on stage 2A, stage 2B will provide further experimental testing aimed at determining the absolute difference in electrostatic charge generated, identify whether any external factors impact one gas more than the other, and to control the factors affecting generation of the charge. The outputs of this work should provide the industry with a better understanding of the potential change in ignition risk when switching from Natural Gas to hydrogen and will also highlight relevant mitigations to manage this risk.

Laboratory and full-scale testing have demonstrated that hydrogen gas affects the fracture performance of pipeline steel welds. To avoid severe knockdown factors stipulated by existing hydrogen pipeline codes, mechanical property data from welds tested in high-pressure gaseous hydrogen is required to enable optimised operation of the NTS in hydrogen.

National Gas Transmission have conducted a series of fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth rate tests on a wide selection of pipeline steels and welds representative of those used on the National Transmission System (NTS). A thorough review of the welds tested and how these compare to the wider population of welds in service on the NTS is required to provide further confidence to use this data in pipeline repurposing assessments and for new build design.

This project is looking to address uncertainties surrounding LTS pipeline materials by investigating the effect of the oxide layer on hydrogen permeation rate for steel pipelines. This project will also investigate the formation of an oxide layer inside the pipe at different temperatures, as well as how the microstructure of the pipeline steel and condition of the oxide layer affect permeation for different grades of steel. It is critical this relation is better understood as these uncertainties are currently hindering our ability to fully and accurately assess the repurposing of the LTS. The outcomes of this project have the potential to increase cost-savings and improve confidence in the existing network to carry hydrogen, including blends.

This project will help WWU to understand considerations for 100% Hydrogen Rollout at a town scale, to inform future activity on preparation for repurposing. Areas will be chosen which are representative of different networks, housing stock and demographics, which will require different approaches and engagement.

Hydrogen Transition Pathways for Industrial Clusters (HTPIC) is a six-month, evidence led research and decision support project developed in response to the EIC’s call for innovation on the energy transition of industrial clusters. The project addresses the challenge of determining where, how and under what conditions hydrogen should play a role in decarbonising industrial clusters and surrounding communities, alongside credible alternative pathways.

Across the GB energy system, existing hydrogen programmes and studies are typically undertaken on a cluster-by-cluster or project-specific basis, using differing assumptions, scenarios and decision criteria. This makes it difficult for networks and policymakers to compare options consistently, understand system level trade-offs, or prioritise investment in a transparent and auditable way. The absence of a common decision framework increases the risk of misaligned investment, stranded assets and inconsistent outcomes across regions.

HTPIC aims to close this gap by providing NGN, Future Energy Networks (FEN) and Xoserve with a structured, repeatable decision framework that enables consistent, evidence-based comparison of hydrogen pathways across industrial clusters. The project integrates technical, economic, social and deliverability considerations within a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework, allowing complex evidence to be translated into clear and practical insights rather than standalone studies or narrative recommendations.

The project will be delivered in three stages:

• Stage 1 establishes a robust evidence baseline, including a comprehensive literature and evidence review, documented assumptions register and confirmation of scope and clusters.
• Stage 2 generates robust, comparable evidence across clusters through four analytical workstreams covering hydrogen supply and demand, gas coexistence and system configuration, conversion practicality and costs, and just-transition considerations, while developing and calibrating the MCDM framework with stakeholders.
• Stage 3 applies the agreed framework to undertake structured optioneering and scenario analysis, resulting in prioritised pathways, cluster-specific conversion playbooks and decision-ready outputs.

Key outputs include:

• a literature and evidence review with a transparent assumption register;
• a defensible options-rationalisation matrix and MCDM framework;
• a comprehensive report addressing the four research questions set out in the EIC brief, supported by an executive summary and cluster-specific annexes;
• cluster-level conversion playbooks translating analysis into practical, location-specific insights;
• pathway roadmaps to 2050; and
• a final dissemination pack to support knowledge sharing across NGN, FEN, Xoserve and Ofgem audiences .

HTPIC will support improved strategic planning for hydrogen and alternative decarbonisation pathways, reduce the risk of misaligned investment and stranded assets through structured prioritisation, and strengthen alignment between industrial cluster ambitions and network development plans. By providing a transparent and consistent decision framework, the project enables clearer sequencing of pathways, more robust comparison of hydrogen and alternative options, and improved confidence in future investment appraisal.

The project will also enhance understanding of affordability, workforce implications and wider community impacts, ensuring that pathway selection considers both technical feasibility and socio-economic factors. Through its systematic assessment of coexistence, conversion practicality and deliverability, HTPIC supports safer and more coordinated progression into downstream engineering and delivery programmes.

HTPIC will generate new system-level learning on hydrogen coexistence, conversion practicality and community impacts, presented through a structured, scenario-based and weighted decision framework that enables transparent comparison across industrial clusters. This learning will strengthen evidence-based decision making across networks and provide a clearer foundation for future programme development, regulatory engagement and investment planning.

Learning will be disseminated through the dissemination event, final report, executive summary and EIC knowledge-sharing channels, supporting wider GB network benefit.

The project commences at TRL 2, where the structured assessment methodology and decision framework are defined conceptually. Over the course of delivery, the framework will be applied across multiple industrial clusters, tested against real-world scenarios and stakeholder calibration, and analytically validated through structured optioneering.

By project close, the solution will have progressed to TRL 3, with the methodology demonstrated and validated in a decision-support context, delivering robust prioritisation and clearly articulated pathways.

The project does not include detailed engineering design, trials or implementation. Early-stage engineering, validation or delivery programmes across industrial clusters are already underway or in development through separate governance, funding and procurement routes. HTPIC is designed to strengthen and rationalise those activities by providing a structured evidence base and decision framework to support confident downstream investment and engineering decisions.

In order to support UK ambitions for hydrogen blending and the development of a hydrogen economy, National Gas will need to install new gas chromatographs with the capability to measure hydrogen up to 20% in a natural gas blend. At present hydrogen is not measured anywhere on the National Transmission System (NTS), and therefore there are no proven in-use devices, and limited experience within the company to allow effective decision making in deploying these assets in the move towards net zero.

In order to make informed decisions ahead of chromatograph fleet upgrade, and to allow for a wide selection of reliable device choices when it comes to that upgrade, National Gas require the testing of available devices to analyse their performance, and thus suitability for NTS installation. This project will employ a trusted testing house to obtain (through loaning) blend-ready chromatographs from suppliers, and then to rigorously examine the performance of those devices. These devices could be tested at the testing house’s site, or at the instrument vendor’s site.

IGEM have received requests from operators to update the hydrogen TD1 / TD13 supplements to take account of outputs from research projects. The project will review and assess the updates required based on findings from completed hydrogen research projects. This will support the repurposing of existing pipelines and installations from Natural Gas to hydrogen and Natural Gas/hydrogen blends, with input and support from users/stakeholders and formal approval by IGEM.

The project will also develop a methodology for fracture and fatigue assessments for existing Natural Gas pipelines to be repurposed to hydrogen service. This methodology will assess the impact of blends of hydrogen up to and including 100% hydrogen to determine whether pipeline derating and/or deblending is required. The requirements for the application of this specification should be included in the updates to the IGEM/TD/1 and IGEM/TD/13 hydrogen supplements.

Phase 1 of the project compiled a list of oils and greases considered to be gas-facing on the NTS, along with identifying functional and material property requirements of these products. Proposed standards and testing methodologies were also outlined to inform the next phase of the project. In Phase 2, the project will proceed with additional required activities to ensure the safe utilisation of NTS oils/greases in a hydrogen pressurised environment. These activities include laboratory testing for lubricants and functional testing for sealants to assess degradation and performance of these products in hydrogen. Subsequently, requirements for in-service monitoring will be identified.

As part of National Gas’s Three Molecule strategy, the technical evidence for the transportation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide through the National Transmission system is being gathered through the HyNTS and CO₂ programmes. This technical evidence will feed into the updates of NGT’s suite of policies and procedures which are used to demonstrate compliance with the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations (GSMR), Pipeline Safety Regulations (PSR) and Pressure System Safety Regulations (PSSR).

This project will develop the approaches to compliance with regulations for hydrogen, hydrogen blends and CO₂, considering both new build and repurposed assets. The project will also define how the NTS Safety Case of the future will look, including modular design and digitalisation to streamline access to information.

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.

This project advances lined rock caverns (LRCs) as a flexible hydrogen storage solution in WWU’s area by moving from regional screening to site‑specific pre‑feasibility. It refines geology and site availability, shortlists candidate sites in South Wales and South West England, conducts a detailed pre‑feasibility study with borehole core analysis at a priority site, and assesses commercial models and funding routes, culminating in a final report to inform decisions on progressing to full feasibility.

This project investigates the technical and economic feasibility of converting non-domestic buildings from natural gas to low carbon energy sources, specifically hydrogen and electricity. It aims to address the significant evidence gap around the conversion of commercial and institutional buildings that are currently supplied by the GB gas distribution networks. The study will assess a wide range of building archetypes, including care homes, schools, hospitality venues, and light industrial sites, using a combination of literature review, site surveys, detailed system designs, and technoeconomic modelling. The outputs will inform future energy policy, support infrastructure planning, and help ensure safe and cost-effective deployment of low carbon technologies in non-domestic settings.

The initial Hydrogen in MOBs project established the foundational evidence for hydrogen conversion, and this follow-on project will address remaining evidence gaps identified by the CFA, finalising the safety and regulatory case for MOB hydrogen conversion and enabling a clear handover of outputs to industry. This work also doubles up as an assessment of options we have today to deliver practical and safe designs, introducing a new range of risk mitigation options which could be more cost effective and efficient way of managing MOBs and pipe assets. As a practical assessment of technical requirements for conversion, this closes out CFA recommendations through applied testing to solve engineering and safety challenges but also informs current processes.

Key deliverables include validated technical data, an updated Quantified Risk Assessment (QRA) for MOBs, an updated management procedure, and a revised IGEM/G/5 Hydrogen Supplement, to be formally handed over to IGEM for review. Together these outputs will close out the regulatory and procedural workstream associated with hydrogen in MOBs research.

The project’s findings will also directly support the development of a decision-making framework to support refurbishment and riser replacement programmes. This will enable the industry to make consistent, evidence-based decisions on the most appropriate options for MOBs, including where alternatives to hydrogen may be more suitable.

This project will develop network and/or entry site solutions that will enable biomethane supply to meet the swings in demand through the year.

This project will build upon previous work to inform decisions relating to the repurposing of National Transmission System pipelines for 100% hydrogen and hydrogen-natural gas blends. New input data will be generated and collated, the assessment methodology will be refined and an alternative assessment method, probabilistic, will be utilised and the resulting network impact will be considered.

This project will generate the following benefits:

• More accurate assessment of the capability of the NTS to transport 100% hydrogen and hydrogen-natural gas blends.
• Data on the impact of low percentage blend hydrogen on pipeline materials.
• Standardised document for Engineering Critical Assessments (ECA) of hydrogen and hydrogen-natural gas blend pipelines and pipework.

Greater understanding on the effect of hydrogen on the design and operation of pipeline systems.

This project aims to explore the impact of hydrogen blends (in natural gas), 100% hydrogen and carbon dioxide on contaminants (arisings) likely to be found in gas transmission pipelines (e.g. Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs), dusts, mill scale, welding slag, glycols, water, BTEX, methanol, heavy metals, sulphur compounds, pyrophorics as well as rotating machinery lube/seal oils and valve sealants etc).

The project will aim to understand the current composition and characteristics of any contaminants, the impact of hydrogen and carbon dioxide on the behaviour/composition/presence of contaminants, establish how long methane related contaminants will persist on the network (for repurposed pipelines), the potential for contaminants to cause pipeline gas to go ‘off-spec’ and the implications of contaminant interactions on National Transmission System (NTS) operation/integrity.

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 will develop a hydrogen‑specific, risk‑based gas escape classification system for WWU by reviewing existing standards and methodologies, modelling hydrogen leak behaviour, conducting field trials, and developing a final operational tool and updated procedures. The project adapts natural gas escape management processes for use on 100% hydrogen networks by analysing gaps in current practice, validating real‑world behaviour through targeted trials, and producing training, documentation and decision‑support tools.

UK gas networks are managed and maintained using an extensive suite of policies, policies standards and procedures. These documents have been developed gradually over decades of gas network operation, however the transition to hydrogen necessitates a wholesale review and update of all existing documents. There is much commonality between the networks’ documents and therefore it would be most efficient to update these documents in a coordinated way to avoid the unnecessary duplication of effort.

New high energy demand sites in the UK can face grid connection delays of over 10 years due to overloaded electricity networks which are struggling to keep up with growing demand. Gas networks could help bridge this gap by supplying gas-to-power solutions to support critical areas sooner. Knowing where and when demand will arise will help gas networks target investment, support electricity networks in offering alternatives, and allow energy users faster access to power. In this way, gas networks can play a key role in getting large energy users the power they need, when they need it.

As part of the National Gas Network Performance Twin program, this project is designed to demonstrate a scalable digital twin platform focused on improving infrastructure resilience, supporting hydrogen integration, and addressing climate adaptation across the National Transmission System (NTS). This initiative integrates three strategic components: Collaborative Visual Data Twin (CVDT) – a 3D BIM-based digital twin platform that visualises and monitors asset performance in real time. HyNTS Dataset Automation – a structured, automated geodatabase that supports hydrogen readiness assessments and asset integrity modelling. Flood Twin – a predictive flood simulation model that enables scenario-based risk analysis and resilience planning for Above Ground Installations (AGIs).

The OptiSTORE project seeks to address the challenge of supply and demand imbalance within Wales & West Utilities’ (WWU) network as means to mitigate the need for storage, particularly in support of Net Zero ambitions, including the planning for development of new hydrogen pipelines and WWU’s existing HyLine programme.. Current geological hydrogen storage methods such as salt caverns, saline aquifers, and depleted oil and gas reservoirs are capital intensive, often technically complex and reliant on specific geological conditions which are less present across WWU’s geography.

Whilst hydrogen can be stored as a liquid, this process requires extremely low temperatures which is technically complex and costly due to the energy required to maintain such low temperatures. One promising alternative to this is Ammonia, which is attractive due to its lower storage temperature (-33°C versus -253°C for hydrogen), higher volumetric energy density, and existing infrastructure and regulatory familiarity.

This project will explore the feasibility of using ammonia as a means to provide supply-side flexibility of hydrogen to support industrial clusters and future hydrogen pipeline developments.