Gas networks test pipes for 100% conversion to hydrogen

A new testing facility has been opened in Derbyshire to determine whether the Britain’s gas networks can be safely converted to run on 100 per cent hydrogen.

The experiments conducted onsite will form part of the H21 programme – a joint initiative between all four of the gas distribution networks led by Northern Gas Networks (NGN).

“I’m proud that H21 is launching the world’s first 100% hydrogen testing facility,” said NGN chief executive Mark Horsley.

“The potential for this low-carbon gas to make inroads into decarbonisation is immense and the work that Northern Gas Networks and its partners is doing here is critical in understanding how we can make a zero-carbon, hydrogen-based gas grid a reality.”

He continued: “We look forward to sharing our results with the government, the sector and other industries so that we can work collaboratively to achieve a clean, hydrogen economy as soon as possible and deliver on the promise of low carbon energy for our communities.”

The new facility is located at the Health and Safety Executive’s Science and Research Centre in Buxton. Old gas pipes and fittings of various types and sizes are being shipped in from across the country to see how they perform when repurposed to transport hydrogen.

The tests will seek to address two key concerns – leakage and embrittlement. Hydrogen molecules are smaller than those of methane, meaning they are more easily able to slip between microscopic gaps. They can also be absorbed into the surfaces of some metals, making them weaker and more brittle in the process.

Horsley said the experiments will establish the extent to which the UK’s existing gas pipes are affected by these issues and therefore how many of them, if any, would need to be replaced as part of a conversion to hydrogen. “Making sure we’ve got the whole spectrum of pipes tested is incredibly important,” he explained.

The tests will continue until the end of this year and will be followed by a trial of a 100 per cent hydrogen gas network in real-world conditions. The findings will provide evidence to inform a policy-decision on the future of heat in the early 2020s.

Horsley said the recent adoption of a net-zero target should add impetus to their efforts: “I think what has happened recently with the net-zero target may well accelerate a lot of these things, because there’s no hiding now. There’s no 20 per cent gap – it’s 100 per cent – so you’ve really got to explore every possible avenue you’ve got.”

Anna Turley, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hydrogen, said: “It is great to see world-leading hydrogen conversion projects taking place in the UK. As a country, we can be leaders in a large-scale shift to using hydrogen for heating our homes, fuelling transport and powering heavy industry.

“H21 is a hugely important project helping to achieve this and I congratulate all the organisations involved in successfully creating the first ever 100 per cent hydrogen test facility. I look forward to seeing the results and working with H21 to share these across parliament and with the government.”