go to top scroll for more

Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	NIA_WWU_2_11
Title	LPG to Hydrogen Village: Feasibility and concept design
Status	Completed
Energy Categories	Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Demographics) 20%; Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas) 10%; Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Hydrogen, Hydrogen transport and distribution) 70%;
Research Types	Applied Research and Development 100%
Science and Technology Fields	SOCIAL SCIENCES (Town and Country Planning) 20%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Civil Engineering) 10%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 70%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 50%; Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Consumer attitudes and behaviour) 50%;
Principal Investigator	Project Contact No email address given Wales and West Utilities
Award Type	Network Innovation Allowance
Funding Source	Ofgem
Start Date	01 October 2022
End Date	31 July 2023
Duration	ENA months
Total Grant Value	£369,600
Industrial Sectors	Energy
Region	Wales
Programme	Network Innovation Allowance
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Project Contact , Wales and West Utilities (100.000%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , Wales and West Utilities (0.000%)
Web Site	https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA_WWU_2_11
Objectives	This project studies different methods of supplying Hydrogen to the customers. This includes supplying, transporting, and storing hydrogen as a compressed or liquified gaseous, or using Ammonia as a carrier of hydrogen. The following methods for transporting and storing will be studied for this project:Compressed Gaseous hydrogen: Stored in high-Pressure tubes (300-500 barg for transport, up to 1000 barg for static storage)Liquefied hydrogen: Stored at cryogenic temperatures and near atmospheric pressure in insulated containers.Ammonia: Catalytic synthesis of ammonia, stored and transported as a liquid using standard infrastructure for ammonia or LPG.Availability of the supply and logistic requirements will be considered to study different methods for transportation and storage. Also, safety requirements and any limitations on the size of storage and layout of the facilities will be considered. The existing distribution network will be used to deliver hydrogen where possible. Pipes and all other components of the network, from the storage equipment up to the domestic meters, will be reviewed to assure the suitability of the existing network to carry Hydrogen and blends of hydrogen and LPG. Recommendations will be provided if any components are found not suitable for carrying hydrogen.Data Quality Statement Throughout this study, a variety of information will be required. Engineering documents will be required to study the suitability of the current GD network. This will need to be provided by the owner of the network and gas supplier. Specification for the LPG and gas supply will be taken from the current supplier. To estimate the energy demand of the community of Llanwrtyd Wells and Llanfyllin, historical demand data will be used plus input from stakeholders for forecasts.In addition to the main deliverables, all the data and information will be collated and gathered in a database and dataset and shared with Wales & West Utilities and Flogas Britain who are partners on the project.Measurement Quality Statement For the purposes of traceability and reliability of results, Tutis Energy will work closely with suppliers and stakeholders to make sure all the data provided by the others are verified and the latest industry practice is used to supply and validate data. This is a feasibility study, so a degree of uncertainty is acceptable. Recommendations will be provided if further verification is required in stage 3 of the project which is the FEED study.For the purposes of comparability of results, the feasibility study will verify the data against the available data for a similar size site and highlight any significant difference found which will be further investigated in the FEED stage.The project is rated low in the common assessment framework detailed in the ENIP document after assessing the total project value, the progression through the TRL levels, the number of project delivery partners and the high level of data assumptions. No additionalpeer review is required for this project.   The feasibility study, stage 1, scope of work includes the following:Feasibility Study Initial Site Visit: Site visit to Llanwrtyd Wells and Llanfyllin and data gathering to understand the existing storage/transmission infrastructure already in place including comprehensive stakeholder engagement.Supply Study: Energy supply scouting study, to assess potential sources and availability of energy in the UK including consideration for seasonal variation and contingency in the event of excess/shortfall and any risks and issues around compositions and transition. Transport Study: Evaluation of transport from suppliers via road tanker, either using compressed hydrogen tube trailers, liquid cryogenic hydrogen tankers or pressurized liquid ammonia tankers.Optioneering: Evaluation of available techniques to convert the stored hydrogen (whether it be compressed, liquified or ammonia) to hydrogen gas at the required distribution pressure.Evaluation of storage facility: Evaluation of storage facility requirements with consideration for hazardous consenting, equipment design, ullage, and backup supplies which include consideration for temporarily running on a hydrocarbon blend (hythane).Checking existing infrastructure: Checking existing storage/transmission equipment/pipeline infrastructure for retrofit to hydrogen/ammonia service.Hydrogen pipeline distribution feasibility study: High-level Assessment for safe/effective hydrogen pipeline distribution The concept design, stage 2, scope of work includes the following:Concept Design Re-purposing assessment: High-level assessment of the case for safety and regulatory impacts when converting from hydrocarbon to hydrogen storage/transmission.Hydrogen pipeline distribution assessment: Assessment for safe/effective hydrogen pipeline distribution including operating pressures, odorization, flame visibility, and leak mitigation/detection.Risk Review: Risk Review Workshop that lists and ranks engineering, construction, commissioning, and operating concerns for all conceptual design options considered.Option Selection: Generate options for storage/transmission of hydrogen and review/rank them in a workshop to select the recommended facilities option for the hydrogen village.Commissioning Plan: Plans for commissioning to run on hydrogen and decommissioning to revert to LPG distribution if the hydrogen village trial is not pursued for the selected option. CAPEX: CAPEX Cost Estimate +/-40% for the hydrogen village storage/transmission facilities for the selected design option. This level of accuracy is based on cost norms with budgetary quotations only provided in areas of high uncertainty. The BEIS Stage 1 LOI (date 21st July 2021) requests “expected costs and profile of expenditure over the full Lifetime” without reference to accuracy.OPEX: Comparative OPEX cost estimate for the three forms of hydrogen considered (compressed, liquefied or as ammonia) to cover transportation, storage and conversion back to hydrogen at the required distribution pressure There is a lot of ongoing work to identify the most effective route to meet net zero in the UK and this project is one of many projects to evidence the major or minor role hydrogen will have in different scenarios. Repurposing the UK gas networks with hydrogen to support the challenge of the climate change act has the potential to save £millions with minimal gas customer disruption verses alternative decarbonisation solutions The ultimate purpose of the project is to recommend a conceptual design that allows for the conversion of the Llanwrtyd Wells and Llanfyllin community to 100% hydrogen with a target to run in this fashion for a minimum of 1 year (up to the domestic meter). This includes an assessment of the technical aspects for conversion, constructability challenges, and cost/schedule implications for the selected design. Learnings from this project can be used for decarbonizing more off-grid communities. Growing off-grid carbon-neutral networks and taking learning from a controlled project into a wider distribution system.
Abstract	Around 20% of UK properties are off grid, in that historically it has been uneconomic to connect them to gas networks, or to develop networks into certain geographic topographies. Typically, such properties are often rural, older housing stock located in more economically deprived or geographically remote areas and are heavily reliant on solid fuel, fuel oils, and in some cases liquid petroleum gas LPG or high-cost electrical resistance heating. This project studies different methods of supplying Hydrogen to the customers. This includes supplying, transporting, and storing hydrogen as a compressed or liquified gaseous, or using Ammonia as a carrier of hydrogen.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	14/10/22