Projects
Alternative to overhead/underground electricity cables
This project will consider what role the below ground gas network (new or repurposed) could play in transporting energy over long distances instead of electricity transmission and distribution upgrades. The project will help WWU understand how the use of the current or future gas system would compare to electricity infrastructure for long distance transmission and what factors could influence cross system decision making. The project will also create a comparison tool that allows users to compare case studies.
Hydrogen Combustion Engine Feasibility Study
This project will see Cenex deliver a feasibility study on hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2ICE) as an alternative to diesel and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) within WWU’s operational fleet. This project comprises three distinct work packages (WPs) each feeding into a holistic assessment of H2ICE applicability across WWU’s vehicle assets. Cenex will apply its expertise in fleet decarbonisation alternative fuel technologies legislative policy analysis and techno-economic modelling to meet WWU’s scope requirements. All outputs will be suitable for internal strategic review and for sharing externally with partners and stakeholders.
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.
Sector Size Assessment
This project will deliver a series of reports and presentations which reflect the need to minimise disruption during any conversion taking into account customer needs and the wider supply chain not just the needs of the GDN.
H2 Rail
This project will explore the feasibility of integrating hydrogen train refuelling infrastructure to support the development of a hydrogen rail network. This has particular relevance to our network as some of the UK’s hardest to electrify rail routes are situated in Wales and South West England. The project will focus on these hard to electrify routes exploring H2’s potential role in enabling their decarbonisation. If successful this project can help the WWU network to become a proving ground for real-world delivery of impactful H2 rail technology. It is expected to provide information which can be used in planning strategic hydrogen pipeline routes and network repurposing plans and support regional energy planning.
The Warmth of Community Phase Two
The Welsh housing stock is particularly old. One third of homes were built before 1919. Just 10% were built in the last 18 years (Better Homes Better Wales Better World report commissioned by Welsh Government as of 2019) the older housing stock may reduce comfort for homeowners without increasing their energy demand.
This project will look to explore the opportunities that may be provided utilising gas hybrid solutions and also looking to calculate the impact of such technologies on gas and electricity demand and subsequently how networks that feed the supplies can be operated in a flexible way to maximise network efficiency and support better whole systems thinking.
RTN modelling- Bio Methane
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 biogas designs to be informed consumer focused and optimised for localised conditions and demands.
Economics of Biomethane
The consultant will deliver a report with supporting data to demonstrate that the economics stack up for biomethane while also supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions and contributing to our energy security.
GVA and macro-economic impact of biomethane
The consultant will deliver a report demonstrating the Gross Value Added (GVA) benefits of biomethane and jobs created and/or maintained from greater biomethane generation across upstream midstream and downstream and the particular benefit provided to GB’s rural communities.
This will be a build on the Economics of Biomethane project conducted by Baringa for the Taskforce and would be expected to leverage analyses and modelling from that project as required.
This analysis is to form the basis of a compelling report making the case for greater biomethane production and injection into the GB gas networks. This report to include recommendations for the target audience which includes Government Treasury DESNZ DEFRA Local authorities etc.
This is a project being delivered in collaboration with the Green Gas Taskforce.
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.
Maximising Capacity at Biomethane Sites
This project will develop network and/or entry site solutions that will enable biomethane supply to meet the swings in demand through the year.
Hydrogen Rollout Assessment
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.
Air Ingress in a Live Environment
Using Cartrefi Hydrogen Home as a test case this project will enable remote monitoring of air ingress phenomena within the home. The system will be used to characterise the current behaviour of the house and to investigate generic air ingress dynamics in a representative domestic hydrogen installation.
Control Room Automation
NGN use various systems with each one requiring different levels of human interaction. The drive towards net zero will involve the introduction of a multi-gas network increasing the network’s complexity. It’s envisaged there’ll be an additional amount of human interaction required to support the systems resulting in staff having to spend less time on strategic initiatives and operational challenges. The control room needs to be future ready to improve productivity and operational efficiency hence the necessity for additional interactions to support the various systems mentioned below.
- SCADA
- Business applications
- Electronic logging system
Alongside the EIC we have completed the ‘Call for Innovation’ process and identified a supplier to deliver a feasibility study to identify vendors offering platform technology for: Automation Enhancement of situational awareness.
Probabilistic Fitness-for-Service Assessment of Hydrogen Pipeline Girth Welds
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.
The Warmth of Community
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 Impact of District Heating on Our Network
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.
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.
Future Hydrogen Safe Control of Operations (SCO) Procedures
Following the work completed on the policies and procedures project by QEMS WWU have identified the requirement to update and re-vamp the existing Safe control of operations (SCO) procedures used by the network to support delivery of upcoming projects.
High-Pressure Materials Analysis (HPMA)
This project will identify and evaluate current technology available for pipes suitable for use in natural gas blended gas and hydrogen gas networks operating above 7 bar.
This project will see QEM Solutions conduct a comprehensive literature review of market reports on pipes used in high-pressure gas systems as well as of existing options for transportation of high-pressure gas in industrial uses with transferrable learnings. QEMS will develop a matrix comparing pros and cons of each solution and consolidate the findings into a final project report.
The project will facilitate the energy system transition by investigating the available and most optimal pipeline materials for natural gas blended gas and hydrogen gas networks above 7 bar considering all operational capex requirements and full lifecycle costs. This work is important for informing investment decisions in pipeline replacement materials addressing a gap in current knowledge.