DNV secure contract for pipeline conversion transporting hydrogen

DNV has secured a three-year contract in the UK to provide the evidence required to demonstrate the safe use and conversion of local transmission systems (LTS) high pressure pipelines for transporting 100% hydrogen.

Gas distribution company SGN manages approximately 3,100km of the UK’s LTS pipelines  and is leading the project in collaboration with other UK gas networks. These are the pipelines that connect the high-pressure National Transmission System (NTS) with the lower pressure tiers. These pipelines are considered to be the backbone of the energy network, currently delivering gas from NTS offtakes to towns and cities across the country.

Angus McIntosh, Director of Energy Futures at SGN comments: ‘Repurposing the UK’s extensive gas networks to transport hydrogen offers an exciting opportunity to deliver deep decarbonisation of the energy system.’

Throughout the project, DNV will provide key safety and operational evidence through a series of offline tests at a research facility in Cumbria, England. The aim is to demonstrate hot working on hydrogen pipelines, delayed ignition, and overpressure tests, burst and fatigue tests and exploring hydrogen compatibility. DNV will also aid a live network SGN trial by investigating the measurement and monitoring of a hydrogen linepack, (the volume of gas that can be stored in a gas pipeline), on a section of the LTN.