Friday 4 August 2023

Ofgem approves green hydrogen project to repurpose gas pipelines

Gas distribution company SGN has received the green light from Ofgem to proceed to the next phase of its innovative hydrogen project.

The initiative involves repurposing a decommissioned gas pipeline into a conduit for hydrogen gas.

The successful testing of a 30-kilometre pipeline between Grangemouth and Granton in Scotland has marked a significant milestone in this project.

The repurposing of existing gas infrastructure to accommodate hydrogen is considered a vital step towards decarbonisation across various sectors including industry, transportation, and heating.

The £30 million LTS Futures project by SGN aims to verify the compatibility of the local transmission system (LTS) with hydrogen gas.

Rebecca Pickett, Ofgem Head of Future Gas Policy, Networks, said: "We welcome SGN's progress with LTS Futures and recognise the potential importance of exploring innovative solutions to decarbonise our energy sector."

Gemma Simpson, SGN Director of LTS Futures, said: "Offsite trials will allow us to test procedures for making new connections to the pipeline. This includes the first-ever live welding procedure on a hydrogen pipeline.

"If we’re successful we’ll be able to proceed to a live trial in 2024 which will deliver a blueprint for repurposing Great Britain’s LTS network, driving decarbonisation and supporting our net zero goals."