Use of existing gas infrastructure in European hydrogen economy

Lipiäinen, Satu; Lipiäinen, Kalle; Ahola, Antti; Vakkilainen, Esa

doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.04.283

Cited by 37 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Also, they reiterated that while repurposing gas pipelines for 100% hydrogen transportation is possible, unresolved issues like the infrastructure-production scale-up dilemma remain. They also buttressed the fact that further research is needed to validate pipeline compatibility with hydrogen and explore alternative transport options [19].…”

Section: Introduction To Pipeline Expansionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transitioning to a Hydrogen Economy: Exploring the Viability of Adapting Natural Gas Pipelines for Hydrogen Transport Through a Case Study on Compression vs. Looping

Abbas,

Haruna,

Burby

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The growing importance of hydrogen as an energy carrier in a future decarbonized energy system has led to a surge in its production plans. However, the development of infrastructure for hydrogen delivery, particularly in the hard-to-abate sectors, remains a significant challenge. While the construction of new pipelines entails substantial investment, repurposing existing pipelines offers a cost-effective approach to jump-starting hydrogen networks. Many European countries are exploring the possibility of utilizing their current pipeline infrastructure for hydrogen transport. Yet, a critical aspect requiring extensive research is the expansion planning of these networks to accommodate increased capacity in the future. This study investigates the utilization of existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure for hydrogen transportation as a cost-saving measure. It explores two expansion strategies, namely pipeline looping and compression, for repurposing a segment of a 342 km x 36inch existing pipeline, from the Escravos – Lagos gas pipeline system (ELPS) in Nigeria, for hydrogen transport. Employing the Promax® process simulator tool, the study assesses compliance with the API RP 14E and ASME B31.12 standards for hydrogen and hydrogen-methane blends. Both expansion strategies demonstrate acceptable velocity and pressure drop characteristics for hydrogen blends of up to 40%. Additionally, the increase in hydrogen content leads to heightened compression power requirements until approximately 80% hydrogen in the blends for compression, and a corresponding extension in looping length until around 80% hydrogen in the blend for looping. Moreover, the compression option proves to be more economically viable for all investigated proportions of hydrogen blends for the PS1-PS5 segment of the Escravos – Lagos gas pipeline case study. The percentage price differentials between the two expansion strategies reach as high as 495% for a 20% hydrogen proportion in the blend. This study offers valuable insights into the technical and economic implications of repurposing existing natural gas infrastructure for hydrogen transportation.

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Section: Introduction To Pipeline Expansionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transitioning to a Hydrogen Economy: Exploring the Viability of Adapting Natural Gas Pipelines for Hydrogen Transport Through a Case Study on Compression vs. Looping

Abbas,

Haruna,

Burby

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Also, they reiterated that while repurposing gas pipelines for 100% hydrogen transportation is possible, unresolved issues like the infrastructureproduction scale-up dilemma remain. They also buttressed the fact that further research is needed to validate pipeline compatibility with hydrogen and explore alternative transport options [25].…”

Section: Introduction To Pipeline Expansionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transitioning to a Hydrogen Economy: Exploring the Viability of Adapting Natural Gas Pipelines for Hydrogen Transport through a Case Study on Compression vs. Looping

Abbas,

Haruna,

Burby

et al. 2024

Gases

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The growing importance of hydrogen as an energy carrier in a future decarbonised energy system has led to a surge in its production plans. However, the development of infrastructure for hydrogen delivery, particularly in the hard-to-abate sectors, remains a significant challenge. While constructing new pipelines entails substantial investment, repurposing existing pipelines offers a cost-effective approach to jump-starting hydrogen networks. Many European countries and, more recently, other regions are exploring the possibility of utilising their current pipeline infrastructure for hydrogen transport. Despite the recent efforts to enhance the understanding of pipeline compatibility and integrity for hydrogen transportation, including issues such as embrittlement, blend ratios, safety concerns, compressor optimisation, and corrosion in distribution networks, there has been limited or no focus on pipeline expansion options to address the low-energy density of hydrogen blends and associated costs. This study, therefore, aims to explore expansion options for existing natural gas high-pressure pipelines through additional compression or looping. It seeks to analyse the corresponding cost implications to achieve an affordable and sustainable hydrogen economy by investigating the utilisation of existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure for hydrogen transportation as a cost-saving measure. It explores two expansion strategies, namely pipeline looping (also known as pipeline reinforcement) and compression, for repurposing a segment of a 342 km × 36 inch existing pipeline, from the Escravos–Lagos gas pipeline system (ELPS) in Nigeria, for hydrogen transport. Employing the Promax® process simulator tool, the study assesses compliance with the API RP 14E and ASME B31.12 standards for hydrogen and hydrogen–methane blends. Both expansion strategies demonstrate acceptable velocity and pressure drop characteristics for hydrogen blends of up to 40%. Additionally, the increase in hydrogen content leads to heightened compression power requirements until approximately 80% hydrogen in the blends for compression and a corresponding extension in looping length until around 80% hydrogen in the blend for looping. Moreover, the compression option is more economically viable for all investigated proportions of hydrogen blends for the PS1–PS5 segment of the Escravos–Lagos gas pipeline case study. The percentage price differentials between the two expansion strategies reach as high as 495% for a 20% hydrogen proportion in the blend. This study offers valuable insights into the technical and economic implications of repurposing existing natural gas infrastructure for hydrogen transportation.

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“…It is characterized by a high energy content and the absence of pollution [1]. Among the various hydrogen transportation methods, pipelines are advantageous because of their large capacity and low cost [2][3][4]. Considering the high costs associated with constructing dedicated hydrogen pipelines, using existing natural gas pipelines for the transport of hydrogen or hydrogen-blended natural gas is a viable option.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Impurity Gases on the Hydrogen Embrittlement Behavior of Pipeline Steel in High-Pressure H2 Environments

Zhou,

Zhang

2024

Materials

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The use of hydrogen-blended natural gas presents an efficacious pathway toward the rapid, large-scale implementation of hydrogen energy, with pipeline transportation being the principal method of conveyance. However, pipeline materials are susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement in high-pressure hydrogen environments. Natural gas contains various impurity gases that can either exacerbate or mitigate sensitivity to hydrogen embrittlement. In this study, we analyzed the mechanisms through which multiple impurity gases could affect the hydrogen embrittlement behavior of pipeline steel. We examined the effects of O2 and CO2 on the hydrogen embrittlement behavior of L360 pipeline steel through a series of fatigue crack growth tests conducted in various environments. We analyzed the fracture surfaces and assessed the fracture mechanisms involved. We discovered that CO2 promoted the hydrogen embrittlement of the material, whereas O2 inhibited it. O2 mitigated the enhancing effect of CO2 when both gases were mixed with hydrogen. As the fatigue crack growth rate increased, the influence of impurity gases on the hydrogen embrittlement of the material diminished.

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Use of existing gas infrastructure in European hydrogen economy

Cited by 37 publications

References 11 publications

Transitioning to a Hydrogen Economy: Exploring the Viability of Adapting Natural Gas Pipelines for Hydrogen Transport Through a Case Study on Compression vs. Looping

Transitioning to a Hydrogen Economy: Exploring the Viability of Adapting Natural Gas Pipelines for Hydrogen Transport Through a Case Study on Compression vs. Looping

Transitioning to a Hydrogen Economy: Exploring the Viability of Adapting Natural Gas Pipelines for Hydrogen Transport through a Case Study on Compression vs. Looping

The Impact of Impurity Gases on the Hydrogen Embrittlement Behavior of Pipeline Steel in High-Pressure H2 Environments

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