SGN, a gas distribution firm, has received £29.9 million in financing to investigate the use of high-pressure pipes for hydrogen transmission and storage as a net-zero heating alternative.
The money from the UK’s energy regulator, Ofgem, and gas distribution companies will be used to see if the country’s transmission networks can be repurposed for hydrogen gas.
The project will be situated in Grangemouth, Scotland, and will be carried out in collaboration with INEOS, a global chemical company with large production and infrastructural capabilities in the area.
The Local Transmission System (LTS) is a vital link between towns and cities and the National Transmission System. Around 11,000 kilometers of these high-pressure pipes, which were built to transport and store natural gas, are managed by gas distribution networks.
The LTS reduces the pressure of gas from the National Transmission System so that it may be transferred directly to the industry. It also flows into gas distribution networks, where it is utilized in homes and businesses following additional pressure decreases.
The LTS plays a key role in storing gas when demand is low, ensuring that we have a reliable supply of gas during peak hours of the day and during cold weather.
Defining the function of the LTS in system transformation and promoting industrial clusters is part of the National Hydrogen Program. SGN is preparing the gas network for greener options like hydrogen, with Scotland and the UK aiming for net-zero by 2045 and 2050, respectively.
“Our Local Transmission System is part of the national vital infrastructure that connects millions of households and companies throughout the UK,” said SGN Director of Energy Futures Gus Mcintosh. Repurposing it for hydrogen might help consumers transition to hydrogen systems at the lowest cost and with the least amount of disruption.
“The LTS serves as a critical storage buffer, ensuring that demand fluctuations across all sectors may be met reliably throughout the day and year.”
A disused pipeline near Grangemouth has been chosen to see whether it can be adapted to transport pure hydrogen.
Grangemouth is one of the greatest industrial clusters in the United Kingdom, and it might be a crucial location for hydrogen generation. Because the pipeline is statistically typical of the GB LTS, it will serve as a model for repurposing all of the UK’s high-pressure pipelines.
In preparation for a first-of-its-kind repurposing trial and demonstration in 2024, SGN’s project team will investigate, design, test, and demonstrate the Grangemouth pipeline’s compatibility with hydrogen. The hydrogen for the live testing will be provided by its partner INEOS.
“We think that Grangemouth is the best site in Scotland to build a center for hydrogen production, usage, and export,” said Andrew Gardner, Chairman of INEOS Grangemouth. As part of our commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2045, we revealed the next phase in our ambitions to develop a world-scale low-carbon hydrogen plant at Grangemouth in January. This study, in collaboration with SGN, will be critical in advancing hydrogen networks as a reality, bringing greener fuels to both households and businesses.”
Gus noted that the initiative would give critical information to influence future heat policy choices as well as a better understanding of the widespread LTS’ role in attaining net-zero for Scotland and the UK.
“It’s part of a nationally coordinated series of hydrogen industry projects and demonstrations that are currently underway, including our world-first hydrogen for home heating H100 Fife project, which will provide policymakers with the evidence they need to decide whether to accelerate and roll out hydrogen in the next decade,” he said.
