The international gas transmission system operator NET4GAS, based in the Czech Republic, has asked DNV to assess the hydrogen suitability of an existing DN 1400 pressure natural gas transmission pipeline and related stations.
NET4GAS is an important player in the European gas market as a Central European gas transmission system operator. It is also one of the sponsors of the “European Hydrogen Backbone” initiative, which believes that a European hydrogen infrastructure is required for Europe to meet its climate and energy goals and achieve greater energy independence. The initiative aims to create a hydrogen infrastructure based on repurposing existing gas networks and effectively connecting major (potential) hydrogen production and consumption sites, with NET4GAS playing a key role in such connections due to its geographic location. NET4GAS is also a founding member of the “Central European Hydrogen Corridor” initiative.
NET4GAS has started a large-scale internal project to map the existing infrastructure and assess its readiness for the transmission of pure hydrogen and various hydrogen-natural gas blends. DNV is investigating various scenarios for hydrogen and natural gas mixtures in a range of percentages ranging from 2% to 100% H2. The complex evaluation of DN 1400 includes topics such as integrity, safety, metering, operation, and maintenance. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B31.12 code, the European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA), and the Industrial Gases Council (IGC) guidelines provide conceptual guidance, which is heavily supplemented by in-house DNV knowledge.
