National Grid granted funding to investigate the future of gas compression of hydrogen and hydrogen blends.
National Grid has been granted funding as part of the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) competition to investigate the key challenges associated with the compression of hydrogen and hydrogen blends.
The National Transmission System (NTS) provides a resilient supply of natural gas to homes, businesses and industry across the UK. The gas is moved by a complex compression system comprised of 24 compressor stations and 70 individual compressor units.
National Grid Gas Transmission is currently exploring the feasibility of converting the NTS to transport hydrogen, as a potentially cost-effective and minimally disruptive solution to reaching net zero.
🔥 What about we co-host a webinar? Let's educate, captivate, and convert the hydrogen economy!
Hydrogen Central is the global go-to online magazine for the hydrogen economy, we can help you host impactful webinars that become a global reference on your topic and are an evergreen source of leads. Click here to request more details
Working alongside DNV, Siemens Energy, ITM Power, SGN and Northern Gas Networks, the project team have been granted £146,659 to investigate the key challenges associated with the compression of hydrogen and hydrogen blends, as we transition to a greener gas network.
While natural gas and hydrogen have some similar qualities – such as being a colourless, tasteless and odourless gas – other properties such as hydrogen having a much smaller molecule size and a lower density, may mean compression requirements differ for hydrogen and hydrogen blends.
The HyNTS Compression project was submitted to the SIF, a three-phase competition grant. The first ‘Discovery’ phase will look to determine the full range of technical requirements of potential compression drive systems and compressor technologies through a feasibility study. The outcomes of this Discovery phase will feed into future phases of the project.
Hari Vamadevan, Regional Director UK & Ireland of Energy Systems at DNV, said:
DNV is pleased to further progress the collaborative and innovative work which aims to determine the viability of repurposing the gas transmission assets for hydrogen.
This project is funded by energy network users and consumers through the Strategic Innovation Fund, a programme from the UK’s independent energy regulator Ofgem, managed in partnership with Innovate UK.
About the Strategic Innovation Fund: the purpose of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund is to support network innovation that will contribute to achieving Net Zero rapidly and at lowest cost; deliver real net benefits to network companies, energy users and consumers; and help the UK to become a ‘Silicon Valley’ of energy.
It aims to work with other public funders of innovation so that activities appropriately funded by energy users and consumers are coordinated with activities funded by Government. The Fund is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
About Ofgem: Ofgem is Britain’s independent energy regulator. Their role is to protect consumers now and in the future by working to deliver a greener, fairer energy system. They do this by:
- Working with Government, industry and consumer groups to deliver a net zero economy at the lowest cost to consumers
- Stamping out sharp and bad practice, ensuring fair treatment for all consumers, especially the vulnerable.
- Enabling competition and innovation, which drives down prices and results in new products and services for consumers.
About Innovate UK: Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency, part of UK Research and Innovation. It drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas, including those from the UK’s world-class research base.
READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central
National Grid granted funding to investigate the future of gas compression, March 7, 2022
