H100 Interference Damage Management Project

Completed

Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas)

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Project Contact
SGN

Network Innovation Allowance

Ofgem

01 September 2024

31 January 2025

ENA months

£171,291

Energy

South East

Network Innovation Allowance

Project Contact, SGN

The project will use a combination of technical methods to develop a procedure for safely purging hydrogen pipelines in case of damage or leaks. The methods include:Phase 1:Review and Analysis:Review Existing Procedures: Analyse existing SGN procedures for natural gas purging and emergency response to understand current best practices.Review Existing Knowledge/Models: Examine existing purging knowledge and natural gas and hydrogen models to leverage applicable insights.Scenario Definition and Analysis:Define Credible Leak Scenarios: Identify plausible damage leak cases, including external interference damage and spontaneous pipework/joint failure, with or without water ingress.Predict Outcomes: Use existing knowledge and experimental data to predict flammable mixture formation around the damage/leak point before and during the purging operation.Calculation and Modelling:Perform Calculations: Conduct calculations for various scenarios, considering pipe size, leak size, pipe lengths, and leak locations to assess the impact and requirements for safe purging.Workshops and Documentation:Kick-off Workshop: Hold an online meeting to discuss and finalise assumptions and approaches.Assumptions Document: Produce a document capturing the outcomes and assumptions agreed upon during the workshop.Reporting and Validation:Develop Preliminary Procedure: Use the reviewed procedures, defined scenarios, and calculation results to draft a preliminary procedure or update existing procedures for hydrogen pipeline purging.Define Experimental Data Needs: Identify and recommend experimental data necessary to validate the proposed procedure.Report Production: Compile a comprehensive report detailing input data, methodology, results, and conclusions, with revisions based on feedback from SGN.Phase 2:Review and Analysis:Existing Procedures Review: Analyse SGNs current procedures for indirect purging techniques and compare them with direct purging risks.Training Development:Course Design: Develop a training program for SGN operatives on indirect purging techniques, focusing on the use of hydrogen in preparation for the H100 Fife project.Assumptions and Caveats: Base the initial concept on existing assumptions and current knowledge, recognising that some aspects are still to be formalised.Training Scope:Onsite Training: Conduct classroom and practical training sessions at DNV Spadeadam, focusing on indirect purging of gas pipes (32mm to 250mm in diameter).Hydrogen Purging Sequences: Train operatives on the sequences of purging Air ? Natural Gas ? H2 for commissioning and H2 ? N2 ? Air for decommissioning.Utilisation of Existing Infrastructure:H21 Microgrid: Use the DNV/H21 Microgrid to provide a realistic training environment with PE pipework and pre-installed rider points. HyStreet Facility: Enable training that simulates real-world conditions, including purging operations relative to buildings, plants, and equipment.Training Execution:Classroom Training (Day 1): Cover the theory and core properties of hydrogen, purging techniques, and the history and reasons for procedural changes. Practical Demonstrations (Days 2-3): Perform methodical demonstrations and hands-on training on the microgrid, including multiple purging scenarios and repeat procedures as requested by SGN.Knowledge Checks: Develop and administer knowledge checks to ensure understanding and competence, followed by issuing certificates of completion. Phase 1The following activities shall be undertakento complete the work scope:Review the existing natural gas purging and emergency response procedure(s) to develop a new emergency response procedure for hydrogen.Kick-off workshopAssumptions document produced, capturing the workshop outcome.Review existing purging knowledge/models for natural gas and hydrogen.Perform calculations for various scenarios covering agreed pipe size, leak size, pipe lengths, and leak locations).Reporting on methodology and results, including defining next steps.Phase 2The following activities shall be undertaken to complete the work scope:Develop Non-routine operating procedures (NRO) for Commissioning, Decommissioning and Recommissioning operations based on the updated SGN and Industry Distribution and Emergency Bridging Documents for Hydrogen for the proposed training scenarios up to 250mm PE.Provide training courses for H100 Fife Personnel for indirect hydrogen purging (Classroom and field work) of gas pipes up to 250mm in diameter using the H21 Microgrid. The aims and objectives of this project are to:Phase 1:Review any SGN procedure that exists for the equivalent natural gas case.Define the range of credible damage leak cases.Use the existing knowledge and experimental data to predict the outcome of each scenario.Update the SGN and Industry Distribution and Emergency Bridging Documents, which will then be used to produce an emergency purging procedure.Reporting of findings.Phase 2:Training of H100 Fife delegates in indirect Purging for 100 Hydrogen Systems utilising the DNV Spadeadam Microgrid.Develop Non-routine operating procedures (NRO) for Commissioning, Decommissioning and Recommissioning operations to be used as part of the training activities.

This project is a safety-critical H100 Fife Distribution Network Project to train H100 Fife personnel and demonstrate safe interference damage management in gas mains up to 250mm Polyethylene (PE) in diameter for the H100 Fife Distribution network building on previous work developed under the Hypurge project. The Hypurge project focused on planned commissioning and decommissioning purging operations and recommended direct purging for airtight systems up to 90mm in diameter. However, approximately 40% of the H100 distribution Network has pipe diameters above 90mm, and the conclusions of Hypurge cannot be applied to systems where airtightness has been lost, and oxygen ingression is predominant, as experienced during pipeline interference damage without further research.

09/04/25