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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	NIA_CAD0025
Title	HyNet Motion; Optimising Network Delivery of Hydrogen for Vehicle Transport
Status	Completed
Energy Categories	Energy Efficiency(Transport) 20%; Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Hydrogen, Hydrogen transport and distribution) 80%;
Research Types	Applied Research and Development 100%
Science and Technology Fields	ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator	Project Contact No email address given Cadent Gas
Award Type	Network Innovation Allowance
Funding Source	Ofgem
Start Date	01 September 2018
End Date	01 September 2019
Duration	ENA months
Total Grant Value	£411,000
Industrial Sectors	Energy
Region	London
Programme	Network Innovation Allowance
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Project Contact , Cadent Gas (100.000%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , Cadent Gas (0.000%)
Web Site	https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA_CAD0025
Objectives	The project can broadly be split into the following three phases:1. Detailed scoping of the nature and scale of future opportunities to supply hydrogen from the distribution network for road, rail and marine transport projects in the North West. 2. Use of the resulting evidence to identify short-term project development opportunities, which enable wider, subsequent deployment as part of the HyNet project.3. Development of a roadmap for deployment of hydrogen demonstration opportunities in the North West.As set out below, the work will require a range of approaches to development of evidence in respect of the tasks defined above.Phase 1: A comprehensive desk-top assessment and baselining of current (and planned/funded) road and rail transport emissions (CO2, NOx and particulates) in the North West:o This will be achieved by way of engagement with local transport planning authorities and academia (for example, the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre), along with review of relevant documentation including, for example, national emissions data, and regional transport plans, such as that published by Liverpool City Region Authority; Analysis of current policy-making in respect of local regional transport infrastructure:o Again, this will rely upon engagement with local transport planning authorities and city region mayoral offices in Liverpool and Manchester to determine not only current policy, but the direction of travel in respect of future policy-making; Determination of private sector ambition and strategies in respect of moving to lower emission vehicle fleets. This will require engagement with, in particular:o Local bus operators, such as Arriva, First and Stagecoacho HGV fleet operators, which have large depots based in the North West;o Local train operators, such as Virgin and NorthWestern Railway;o Local providers of rolling stock, such as Alstom (now part of Siemens);o Local port operators, primarily Peel Ports, in relation to the new Liverpool SuperPort. Identification and mapping of all key transport hubs across the local road, rail and marine networks:o This work will focus upon major fleet depots for road travel, key maintenance and refuelling stations in the rail sector and major ports; Based upon the above information, determination and spatial presentation of what a local network of refuelling stations (likely located to serve fleet and bus depots) might look like:o This will be undertaken under a number of scenarios including assumed build-out of the hydrogen pipeline infrastructure proposed under the HyNet project and a business as usual scenario, whereby HyNet is not progressed. High level analysis of the geographies (beyond the North West) in which refuelling stations would be needed to support use of hydrogen in HGVs, along with the location of any existing refuelling stations. Modelling of the comparative costs of some hydrogen transport applications versus the alternative of electrification:o This will build on wider work, for example, that undertaken under the EU-funded JIVE programme, which has been set up to enable procurement of hydrogen-fuelled buses by public bodies; High-level modelling of the comparative well-to-wheel CO2 benefits of some hydrogen transport applications versus the alternative of electrification:o Again, this will rely upon existing third party data, publicly available data and focus upon a limited number of variables in respect of energy source and application. Undertake a detailed analysis of the GVA (gross value added) benefits of the above scenarios, linked to an assessment of the benefits that would accrue from the deployment of the wider HyNet project.Phase 2: Identification of suitable, network relevant hydrogen transport related projects, which might be deployed within a two year time period in the North West:o It is anticipated that identification of these will arise via the above processes of engagement with local stakeholders and Cadents wider engagement as part of the HyNet project, which, for example, has highlighted potential sources of currently available hydrogen, which might be directed to transport applications; Development of commercial model(s) and associated outline business case(s) to support the development of these projects:o This will require engagement with potential consortium members, private sector investors and public sector funding streams (for example, Innovate UK) to determine suitable business models and funding structures; Identification of any further technical evidence gaps, which need to be filled to support deployment of these projects:o During the production of business case information, it is likely that further technical barriers will emerge, which constrain investment appetite and funding. Whilst these will not be solved within the scope of the proposed study, they will be documented and related methods proposals towards their resolution.Phase 3: Development of a roadmap for deployment;o This will bring together the Phase 1 and Phase 2 analyses to present a 5-year plan towards realisation of a major switch to hydrogen fuelled transportation in the North West, which can be enabled by hydrogen supplied by Cadent. The study will be focussed upon opportunities in the North West of England, and specifically upon the area defined in the aforementioned Clusters report (NIA_NGGD0086). This area has a current natural gas use of 37 GWh/annum, which equates to a significant proportion of total gas use across Cadents entire distribution network.The emphasis of the work will be upon road and rail transportation, which accounts for the vast majority of emissions in the area. However, there will also be analysis of opportunities in the marine transport sector in specific relation to the Port of Liverpool. Whilst the North West includes two major airports (in Manchester and Liverpool), air travel is excluded from the analysis on the basis that hydrogen is unlikely to be a suitable aviation fuel.In respect of road transport, the study will concentrate on buses and commercial (non-passenger) fleets, such as those including HGVs, LGVs and other smaller vehicles which are prevalent in cities, for example, transit type vans used by courier companies. In relation to rail, the focus will be upon lines which have not yet been electrified, as in some areas, such as Liverpool, some lines have only recently been converted to electricity, which has the potential to be low carbon.The analysis will concentrate on both, hydrogen from the proposed new hydrogen distribution network (which will transport 100% hydrogen) in the NW, and that which will be injected as a blend (with natural gas) into the existing gas distribution network. These present different challenges for use in transport, both technically and commercially.In terms of analysis of the potential climate change benefits of converting the transport sector to hydrogen, the work will solely consider emissions CO2 from fossil fuel combustion. Similarly in respect of potential air quality benefits, the focus will be upon NOx and particulates (PM10) only.It is intended that this study will complement and draw upon analysis from wider future work being considered by Cadent. This wider suite of projects can be summarised as follows: Analysis of contamination of hydrogen, which is injected and delivered by the existing distribution network; Assessment of the impact of hydrogen blends (with natural gas) upon the operation of existing CNG vehicles; and Determination of the potential to separate hydrogen from network blends to enable both wider distribution of hydrogen for transport (as part of HyNet) and to enable CNG vehicles to continue to use CNG from existing refuelling stations.Whilst the scope of the work is upon Cadents distribution network, the majority of the work and methods can be applied across other GDN areas and the work will inform other GDNs planning of strategies in relation to supply of hydrogen for transport applications within their networks. The overarching objective of this work is to develop a long-term strategy (linked to the realisation of the HyNet project), which sets out a pathway to deployment of hydrogen-related transport infrastructure in the North West. To support this objective, there are a range of task-oriented sub-objectives, which can be summarised as follows: To define the nature and scale of future opportunities to supply hydrogen from the distribution network for road and rail transport projects in the North West; To consider the magnitude and nature of benefits to gas networks and their customers from the supply of hydrogen for transport; To explore the technical and commercial barriers to realising these benefits and to provide analysis as to how such barriers might be overcome; To identify a set of short-term actions and projects, which enable wider, subsequent deployment as part of the HyNet project, and which other gas networks might support.
Abstract	The project can broadly be split into the following three phases:1. Detailed scoping of the nature and scale of future opportunities to supply hydrogen from the distribution network for road, rail and marine transport projects in the North West. 2. Use of the resulting evidence to identify short-term project development opportunities, which enable wider, subsequent deployment as part of the HyNet project.3. Development of a roadmap for deployment of hydrogen demonstration opportunities in the North West.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	01/11/23