Study of the behaviour of hydrogen in distribution networks

Project description

This is a laboratory project to study, in a first phase, the behaviour of hydrogen in natural gas distribution networks in different blending proportions, progressively increasing the percentage of hydrogen from 5% to 20%, and, in a second phase, the behaviour of a network with 100% hydrogen.

In addition to being in itself an innovative platform for the development of hydrogen distribution infrastructure, the project includes a number of features designed to provide evidence and enable conclusions to be drawn on blending natural gas with different proportions of hydrogen, and on the behaviour of specific hydrogen networks for residential, industrial and mobility use.

Impacto medioambiental

Injecting H2 and blending it into the existing natural gas network makes an efficient contribution to the energy transition, as it reduces the costs of developing new power infrastructure and enables the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors. In other words, it maximises the potential of existing infrastructure by giving it a different use and extending its useful life.

Furthermore, the availability of the existing and widespread gas system infrastructure enables a gradual and modulated transition for all segments, and makes it easier to achieve the goal of economies of scale sooner rather than later. This transition can be phased in gradually, allowing different segments to adapt according to their particular situation.