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Will Hydrogen help keep Gas pipelines flowing at full capacity?

As we transition from fossil fuels to cleaner and renewable energy sources, Hydrogen may flow alongside Natural Gas throughout the extensive Natural Gas Pipeline networks.  In this post I will briefly describe some of the challenges, opportunities, and real-world experiments involving transportation of gaseous hydrogen in natural gas pipelines.

Initial safety concerns, especially with the embrittling of the steel pipelines, have proven to be less of a concern, especially with lower concentrations of hydrogen, but this is an ongoing area of research.  Existing natural gas pipelines can support hydrogen concentrations up to 15%, however, to increase the hydrogen concentrations further, this requires more substantial investment including the replacement of pumps and compressors, along with measurement and control units.  Nevertheless, the cost of converting a natural gas pipeline to support pure hydrogen transportation is still substantially cheaper than building an entirely new hydrogen pipeline.

There are numerous ongoing studies of the impact hydrogen has on the pipeline’s steel pipes and fittings, potentially reducing the pipeline’s serviceable life.  Another safety concern is the monitoring of leak detection.  This is even more critical with hydrogen because hydrogen molecules are smaller and more explosive than natural gas.

When considering a full-scale transition from natural gas to hydrogen transportation, it is important to understand that at standard pressure natural gas has three times the calorific value of hydrogen, but hydrogen has a lower density and can flow three times faster.  Therefore, the same natural gas pipeline once fully converted to hydrogen could transport three times as much hydrogen while delivering only slightly lower energy content.

Germany is testing for the safe operation of an integrated hydrogen grid.  Christoph von dem Bussche, the CEO of the German pipeline operator Gascade has stated: “The existing gas infrastructure is of very high value for the EU Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe”.  Along with German pipeline operator Norwega and Siemens Energy, Gascade has been studying whether the conversion of Germany’s extensive natural gas long distance transmission pipeline network, and its extensive distribution network would be suitable for the transportation of hydrogen.  They are also examining whether Germany’s extensive natural gas storage facilities would be suitable for the storage of hydrogen.

GasUnie in the Netherlands has experience transporting hydrogen in a decommissioned natural gas pipeline in the province of Zeeland.  The Netherlands anticipates a decline in the transportation of natural gas due to a combination of halting the natural gas production in Gronigen, and through their transition to renewable energy sources.  As their need for their natural gas network declines, they are transitioning that capacity to transport hydrogen.

In North America, both the NAESB and CER regulatory bodies are analyzing the policy implications of transporting hydrogen within US and Canadian natural gas pipelines.

Alliance Pipeline was built in 2000 to ship natural gas and liquids from Canada’s producing region in Northern BC & Alberta to Chicago.  Alliance is unique as it transports liquid-rich unprocessed natural gas from the Canadian producing region 3,848km to a liquids extraction plant near Chicago.  This very high-pressure pipeline may be well suited for transporting hydrogen.  Alberta Innovates, a provincial agency supporting research and innovation in Alberta, is working with Alliance Pipeline to conduct a hydrogen feasibility study.  This study includes an engineering assessment to determine whether the pipeline’s current infrastructure can support the transportation of hydrogen blended between 5% and 20% with the current rich natural gas mixture being transported today.

As hydrogen evolves as an energy source, it will be interesting to observe the adoption of the blending of hydrogen with natural gas within existing natural gas pipelines, and the conversion of existing natural gas pipelines to hydrogen where practical.

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