Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | NIA_NGN_081 | |
| Title | Provision of Temporary Gas Supplies | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas) 100%; | |
| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | SOCIAL SCIENCES (Business and Management Studies) 30%; SOCIAL SCIENCES (Law) 10%; SOCIAL SCIENCES (Sociology) 10%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 50%; |
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| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 50%; Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation) 25%; Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Technology acceptance) 25%; |
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| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given Northern Gas Networks |
|
| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 July 2014 | |
| End Date | 01 December 2017 | |
| Duration | 41 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £166,500 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Technical Consultancy | |
| Region | Yorkshire & Humberside | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , Northern Gas Networks (99.999%) |
| Other Investigator | Project Contact , Cadent Gas (0.001%) |
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| Web Site | http://www.smarternetworks.org/project/NIA_NGN_081 |
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| Objectives | This proposed innovation project is intended enable provision of temporary gas supplies to alleviate localised interruption. The project is being proposed as part of the RIIO Innovation arrangements and will be an all networks project, led by NGN as proposer. Three main objectives have been identified initially for the project: -1. Changes to Uniform Network Code, GT Licence and/or commercial arrangements that would allow networks to supply small numbers of customers without the current restrictions,2. Robust safety management procedures and processes that ensure any technical solution places no additional risk to customers or the network, and3. A technical solution that uses gas to supply existing appliances and minimizes the need for purge and relight. ; A workable legal and commercial framework that would allow networks to supply gas through existing metering arrangements,; A safety management procedure that all networks could adopt that would safely maintain customers gas appliances for a minimum time period during an emergency and planned disruptions, and; A cost effective method of providing a temporary gas supply to customers with minimal disruption. | |
| Abstract | It is acknowledged that vulnerable customers may be considered at risk due to lack of gas supplies when there is either a planned interruption or as a result of emergency activities. GDNs have obligations to provide alternative heating and cooking in such circumstances and this in itself may cause the electricity network to be placed at risk due to significant additional, and unexpected load being placed on it when the alternative heating and cooking provided is electric fan heaters and hotplates. The process of providing such alternatives may be hampered by difficulty in obtaining suitable supplies of alternative equipment, especially where it is as a result of a localised emergency. Where work is as a result of planned interruption, this may only be required in limited circumstances as work is often carried out when people are at work. For pensioners or people with young families, alternatives during the day may be essential, but can be managed more easily than in an emergency situation. In both cases, where there has been a need to isolate properties on a temporary basis to carry out work, all supplies must be purged and relit to meet safety standards. This work can be disruptive to customers and is a source of frequent complaints. Maintaining supply to individual properties or a number of properties from a temporary stored source has some significant regulatory & commercial framework, safety standards and technical issues. As gas transporters are not allowed under their licence arrangements to supply gas through a customer’s meter. RIIO has resulted in a changing mind-set regarding the impact gas supply isolation has a small but significant number of customers. Networks need to be consider fully all aspects of supplying customers using bottled gas as a temporary substitute for mains gas to develop an acceptable solution. Via a competitive process managed by ENA, the gas networks will all research both the Regulatory, Commercial, Technical and Safety aspects of this area to determine what is possible. This project will initially undertake a significant amount of research in into the Commercial aspects, alongside Xoserve supporting the project. Investigation will take place around any primary, secondary or licence conditions that may prevent the technical solution. The networks also wish to engage in a technical research organisation to review safety and control management issues with any desired outputs. Finally the third stage, which will be significantly affected by the initial research work, will be the development of the technical solution to a bench top stage. Production of a comprehensive report on Legal, Regulatory and Commercial guiding the networks to optioneering future stages.Note : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 29/10/18 | |
