Future Energy Networks

This project will develop and evaluate a predictive flood monitoring system for Above Ground Installations (AGIs) and pipeline assets using real-time sensor data and 48-hour surface water forecasting. The system will be deployed at four locations identified through a nationwide flood risk survey. The trial will assess the system’s accuracy, responsiveness, and operational value across diverse environments. The project supports climate adaptation, regulatory compliance, and asset resilience by enabling early warning and proactive intervention. It aligns with RIIO-2 NIA objectives by reducing flood-related disruption, enhancing safety, and informing future investment decisions. The project will conclude with a technical report and recommendations for wider rollout under RIIO-3.

The characteristics of transmission pressure hydrogen and natural gas blends are not fully understood, including relative leakage behaviour. This project will test whether or not methane and hydrogen within a blend leak at the same rates, or whether due to its small size, hydrogen will leak at a ratio greater than its relative concentration, and whether it leaks where methane does not.

Understanding the leak behaviour of hydrogen in a natural gas blend will ensure we can operate a blended system safely, particularly in enclosed spaces, and will ensure that the carbon benefit of hydrogen enrichment is not lost through fugitive emissions. Also, as green hydrogen is currently significantly more expensive than natural gas, the shrinkage costs associated with hydrogen fugitive emissions could be considerable.

This project will produce reports that will compare the Asset Interventions Database vs their asset base, to provide an estimated readiness rating and confidence level against the gas networks assets for the conversion to hydrogen, both 100% and blended.

This project will develop understanding of how the GB gas network would operate in a system aligned to Future Energy Scenarios (FES) 2025 scenarios for 2050.

The use of greener gases such as biomethane are an important part of the UK’s transition to net zero. Underground storage sites for biomethane are critical for balancing seasonal supply and demands for energy. However, increased levels of oxygen in biomethane can lead to corrosion of assets in wet gas conditions, compromising the integrity of storage facilities. This project will assess in a comparative analysis the technical and economic viability of advanced catalytic and adsorption technologies to reduce oxygen levels in biomethane with corrosion inhibitors to ensure the integrity and longevity of critical storage infrastructure.

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

The UK gas networks are undergoing a major transition to support the integration of green gases, including biomethane and hydrogen. A significant challenge is the inability of the current design modelling. Cadent’s current modelling relies on outdated assumptions and lacks the granular, real-time demand insight needed for modern, decarbonising gas networks. Existing tools cannot capture intra-day demand variability, below-7-bar network complexity, or the growing impact of biomethane injections—creating risks in planning, operational decisions, and reinforcement strategy.

RTN addresses these challenges by delivering accurate, weather-adjusted, consumer-level demand modelling and integrated analysis across pressure tiers. This enhances forecasting, improves biomethane integration, and strengthens model validation and operational control. In the future state, RTN provides Cadent with a modern, data-rich, and automated modelling capability that reduces unnecessary reinforcement, improves customer outcomes, supports the energy transition, and lays the foundation for potential future use in peak-demand modelling and regulatory engagement.

This programme is leveraging the data and learning from historic projects to develop a range of novel network modelling tools that will enable bio gas designs to be informed, consumer focused and optimised for localised conditions and demands.

Based on previous work, ROSEN Engineers believe the quantity of natural gas vented during commissioning operations can safely be reduced, by up to 80%, through targeted changes to direct purging procedures.

For Gas Distribution Networks’ (GDNs), gas venting remains a necessary part of normal operations for maintenance or safety purposes. Previous research work undertaken by ROSEN(UK) Limited for the EIC, with project partners Northern Gas Networks (NGN) and Wales and West Utilities (WWU), identified activities where venting of natural gas to atmosphere occurs (Gas Venting Research Project, NIA reference number NIA_NGN_282)

Renewable Energy Harvest unlocks the untapped power of Britain’s countryside by turning farm, food, and forestry residues into clean, flexible green gas. By combining biomethane and syngas production with advanced mapping and forecasting tools, the project will identify where rural resources can best connect into the gas network. This innovation supports a fair, low-carbon transition - cutting emissions, reducing costs, and keeping energy value in local communities. Backed by Northern Gas Networks and partners, Renewable Energy Harvest paves the way for smarter, more resilient infrastructure that helps Britain make better use of low-carbon gases for a decarbonised future energy system.

This project delivers an evidence-based assessment of resilient energy futures for NHS as the health service transitions toward its Net Zero target. The work combines national-level analysis with site-specific audits to develop replicable methodology for assessing healthcare estates provide NHS Boards and SGN with clear, prioritised roadmaps for maintaining clinical resilience while reducing carbon emissions.

Scottish NHS sites are used as a case studies as it operates 14 territorial Health Boards with complex estates that currently depend on gas for heating, hot water, and essential clinical services. The project addresses a critical planning challenge faced by all gas networks: healthcare estates currently depend on gas for heating, hot water, and essential clinical services, as electrification and alternative heating solutions are deployed unevenly, there is significant uncertainty around how quickly gas demand will decline, where it will remain critical, and how network resilience can be maintained during the transition. Working with Energy Systems Catapult, Jacobs, and Aiming for Zero, the project will deliver GIS mapping of priority sites, site-level audits, techno-economic modelling, and Board-specific implementation roadmaps, providing SGN, NHS Scotland and other networks with the evidence base required for coordinated, cost-effective decarbonisation planning.

This project will develop a data-led understanding of all MOBs,their characteristics and associated risks (e.g., riser failure likelihood, building age/type) to accurately forecast the complexity, duration, and cost of replacement works. This will support SGN with effective planning and delivery of the Tier 1 Replacement Programme and optimise REPEX spend. The MOB data platform that this project aims to produce will allow SGN to assess the long-term viability of gasin older MOBs and proactively explore buy-outs or alternative energy solutions where it makes more sense than costly infrastructure replacement.

National gas pipeline systems rely heavily on protective coatings and cathodic protection to prevent corrosion and ensure long-term integrity. Coatings act as the primary barrier against environmental exposure, while cathodic protection—typically using sacrificial anodes or impressed current systems—supplements this by mitigating electrochemical reactions that cause metal degradation. The introduction of hydrogen into these pipelines, as part of decarbonization efforts, presents new challenges. Hydrogen can permeate coatings and accelerate corrosion processes, especially in the presence of certain microbes. Microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC), driven by bacteria such as sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB), can be exacerbated by hydrogen, which some microbes use as an energy source. This interaction may compromise both the coating and cathodic protection systems, necessitating advanced materials and monitoring strategies to maintain pipeline safety and performance in a hydrogen-integrated future.

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 study examined options for making progress on domestic heat decarbonisation, against an ongoing backdrop that most consumers in GB have not chosen to install heat pumps. The study finds that forcing consumers to do so is likely to increase costs for everyone and spark backlash against climate policy. The paper sets out the parameters for a more flexible pathway, which supports technologies, including hybrid heat pumps, based on emissions and cost savings. The core finding is that by allowing consumers to transition more gradually to newer technologies, this approach offers a lower-cost and more voter-friendly (and therefore deliverable) pathway to net zero.

The UK’s biomethane sector faces challenges due to the diverse and non-standardized grid entry requirements across different Gas Distribution Networks (GDNs). This variability leads to increased costs, complexity, and lead times for biomethane projects, hindering the industry’s growth and efficiency.

The transition from natural gas to hydrogen introduces new material challenges within the context of the GB gas network. One critical concern is hydrogen embrittlement, particularly in 17-4 Precipitation Hardened (PH) Stainless Steel, commonly used in axial flow regulators and other key gas network components like valve stems. Hydrogen embrittlement can significantly reduce ductility, fatigue life, and fracture toughness, potentially leading to component failure. While research exists, much of it focuses on extreme conditions (e.g., high pressures and rapid temperature cycling) that do not reflect typical operational environments in the GB gas network.

This project will look to combine industry knowledge, literature review, and empirical testing to address these outstanding challenges.

This project will deliver the first comprehensive and evidence‑based update to IGEM/TD/2 to enable its safe and consistent application to 100% hydrogen and hydrogen‑blend transmission pipelines. Current TD/2 methodologies reflect only natural gas behaviour, leaving critical gaps in failure frequencies, consequence modelling, harm criteria and risk‑reduction approaches for hydrogen. Through a structured programme of technical analysis, modelling, validation against large‑scale hydrogen test data, and extensive stakeholder engagement, the project will develop hydrogen‑specific failure frequency tables, consequence and overpressure models, harm thresholds, and guidance on appropriate risk‑reduction measures. These will be consolidated into a publication‑ready TD/2 Hydrogen Update Technical Suite and IGEM drafting instructions, ensuring regulatory alignment and industry consensus. The outcome will provide a unified, defensible framework that accelerates hydrogen network projects, supports the UK’s energy transition, and strengthens safety assurance across the gas sector.

The following is a proposed outline for a report on the decarbonisation benefits and potential of biomethane in the UK Road Haulage sector.

The report will position biomethane as:

1. A complimentary technology to zero tailpipe emission vehicles that offers faster decarbonisation potential due to the near-term infrastructure scalability of the technology and the suitability for long distance and non-fixed route logistics.
2. A cost-effective way to reduce Carbon emissions by over 84% over the next 15-20 years whilst zero tailpipe emission technologies are developed, and the supporting infrastructure is deployed.
3. An enabler to the transition to zero tailpipe emission vehicles by offering reduced carbon abatement costs that, in turn, can generate funds to invest in zero emissions infrastructure and vehicles.

It will serve as a reference document for discussions with industry stakeholders, governments, and regulators.

This project will conduct market research on available, or soon to be available hybrid products for discussion and presentation back to WWU and WW Housing to choose a preferred solution for the properties identified that are suitable to trial the equipment in. The project will provide networks with demand data and look to aggregate this over WW Housing stock to understand wider impact on gas networks, if this was considered a viable option to decarbonise housing stock.

The statistical ‘value’ (i.e. risk reduction and cost) of remote hydrogen detectors has been determined through statistical based projects as part of the hydrogen heating programme (HHP). The cost has been shown to outweigh the risk, however, given hydrogen is not a mature heating solution, the cost can be justified in response to risk appetite from key stakeholders, such as consumers. This risk appetite is assumed. There is currently no analysis (qualitative or quantitative) into consumers attitudes towards the ‘value’ of remote detectors. This project will begin to explore the perception of risk reduction from remote detectors to be used to compliment the statistical based analysis to paint a fuller picture towards the utilisation and crucially, the value, of remote detectors.

To support the UK achieving net zero by 2050, there is a need to decarbonise the current gas networks of transmission and distribution levels. The conversion of the NTS into a hydrogen transmission network has been widely discussed and extensive work is underway to prove the technical capability and commercial viability of a 100% hydrogen network. There is also additional work to support the governments clean power targets and a three-molecule approach has been adopted within National Gas to consider (bio)methane, hydrogen (including hydrogen blends) and carbon dioxide.

The gas networks need to be prepared to operate and safely manage the transportation of all three molecules, especially with the ambition to develop a 100% hydrogen network in the future, upskilling and training the current workforce and the workforce of the future is a fundamental step to ensuring the facilitation of the energy transition.

Identifying the skills and competencies required both during the transition and after the transition to maintain the future systems was discovered in the Skills and Competencies NIA that closed in Q4 2023. A competency framework was developed that will provide a baseline for the training and resourcing strategy proposed for operational and technical skills and competency requirements for current and future workforces.

The project produced a comprehensive plan to identify the known gaps and to provide a roadmap for key developments of standards and policies which will drive the training and competency needs. Furthermore, it identified potential training facilities to support the development of the plan and ultimately facilitate rollout. The project also enabled a large-scale training and competency programme to be developed alongside the relevant technical standards and policies in readiness for deployment to the relevant engineers.

National Gas would therefore like to understand how AI tools can be used to accurately and efficiently produce training materials and create a more effective, personalised training experience.

As the hydrogen economy grows, the need for flexible, decentralised intermediate-scale hydrogen storage is becoming increasingly evident. While large-scale underground hydrogen storage in salt caverns and depleted gas fields will play a crucial role in long-term energy security, distributed intermediate scale storage solutions are essential to bridge the gap between production and end-use, ensuring reliability, efficiency, and resilience in hydrogen supply chains during the scale-up of the hydrogen economy. Decentralised storage facilities allow for hydrogen hubs to emerge in urban and industrial areas, reducing reliance on long-distance transport infrastructure and supporting regional hydrogen economies.

A key unknown is whether the land use and geology of Wales and South West England can support intermediate-scale underground hydrogen storage (UHS) technologies. This project aims to map and assess potential storage sites within the WWU region, aligning with broader energy infrastructure plans—including hydrogen and gas pipelines, electricity networks, industrial demand, and renewable energy integration. The project will use WWU’s geology and geography as a case study, and demonstrate how UHS options can support wider energy infrastructure in the region and beyond, as well as future project plans. For this reason, the outputs are expected to be of value to all networks.

To evaluate the feasibility of these storage solutions, the University of Edinburgh will analyse rock property and strength data from publicly accessible British Geological Survey (BGS) datasets, developing new insights into the engineering suitability of the region’s subsurface for hydrogen storage.

This project concerns the research into welding residual stress values and the effect that they have on the overall pipework repurposing assessment route described in relevant hydrogen standards. Currently, overly conservative values need to be applied for welding residual stresses in any repurposing assessment. This project aims to build evidence on actual and modelled residual stresses seen within the pipelines industries, with a focus on natural gas pipelines. As the welding residual stress is a critical aspect of the fracture mechanics assessment, any improvements which can be gained would have an overall positive impact on the assessment results.