As the world’s energy landscape evolves, clean hydrogen emerges as a promising solution for achieving clean, net-zero carbon energy. Hydrogen transportation has also emerged as a key challenge to address in the energy space. A new issue brief from a work group of the Hydrogen Economy Collaborative (HEC), convened by GPI, focuses on these challenges and highlights opportunities to address them.
The Great Plains Institute is working with states, local governments, and stakeholders across the nation to explore the opportunities related to hydrogen as a clean energy carrier and to investigate the potential of the emerging equitable clean hydrogen economy.
One key way GPI advances the clean hydrogen economy is by convening hydrogen professionals through the HEC. The HEC aims to coordinate national efforts, especially in the Midwest, with emerging hydrogen industries to synchronize new supply chains. Focus areas include research and development, production, infrastructure, distribution, education, outreach, and market development to help meet consumer preferences for low-carbon energy solutions.
Unlocking the potential of hydrogen pipeline transportation
Hydrogen holds immense potential as a clean energy carrier, especially for challenging but crucial to decarbonize sectors like industrial processes and maritime shipping. Its versatility allows for hydrogen transportation in various forms—liquid, gaseous, or a carrier like ammonia or methanol—using pipelines, rail, trucks, or ships.
However, the journey from production to consumption requires addressing critical challenges. Pipeline transportation emerges as the most economical option for long-distance transport, but it faces regulatory complexities due to jurisdictional divisions between federal and state agencies as well as technical challenges that need to be addressed.
Key technical and regulatory questions for hydrogen transportation are outlined in a new issue brief from the Policy, Education, and Outreach work group of the Hydrogen Economy Collaborative, addressing issues such as maximum hydrogen blending into natural gas pipelines, regulatory jurisdiction, technology challenges, and cost considerations. The brief provides an overview of these challenges to highlight the need for further research, revitalized policy frameworks, and technological advances required to bolster the clean hydrogen economy.
Navigating regulatory and technical challenges
One of the primary hurdles in hydrogen transportation is regulatory complexity. Jurisdiction over hydrogen pipelines is divided among federal and state agencies, adding layers of complexity to siting, safety, and commercial regulation. Understanding the interplay between federal and state oversight is essential for navigating the regulatory landscape effectively. Moreover, regulatory oversight of hydrogen pipelines can be difficult to navigate as the authority also differs for dedicated hydrogen pipelines versus natural gas pipelines carrying hydrogen admixtures.
In terms of technical challenges, existing natural gas infrastructure may need to be significantly retrofitted to achieve 100 percent hydrogen. This poses several challenges, like embrittlement and leakage, if infrastructure components are unsuitable for operation with pure hydrogen.
Embrittlement occurs when a metal pipeline already has fractures or defects and is subject to fluctuating pressure changes. Pipeline retrofitting and more sophisticated monitoring can help reduce or eliminate embrittlement.
Leakage is another technical challenge related to hydrogen transportation. Leakage monitoring equipment would need to be replaced with sensor equipment to detect hydrogen leaks since current monitoring equipment cannot detect hydrogen leaks.
Cost considerations of hydrogen transportation
While hydrogen transportation infrastructure can involve significant upfront costs, there is potential for long-term cost savings and environmental benefits, particularly as technology advances and economies of scale are realized.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that a hydrogen/natural gas admixture is the most cost-effective to transport through existing infrastructure. In addition, the IEA estimates that it becomes more cost-effective to convert hydrogen into ammonia or a liquid organic hydrogen carrier and to transport ammonia or liquid green hydrogen via ships, even when accounting for the energy expenditure of converting ammonia or liquid hydrogen back into hydrogen.
Conclusion
There are many regulatory authorities overseeing hydrogen transportation and pipeline safety. However, most regulations only apply to natural gas and only tangentially to hydrogen.
Options for transporting hydrogen in pipelines include dedicated pipelines, retrofitted pipelines, and repurposed pipelines. Additional research is needed to identify challenges with pipeline retrofitting and the impact of higher admixtures on the distribution system safety and end-use appliances.
Despite the regulatory and technical challenges, efforts like the Hydrogen Economy Collaborative are underway to expand hydrogen transportation networks and the hydrogen economy.
To learn more about the Hydrogen Economy Collaborative and how you can become involved, visit the collaborative’s web page. For more information, please contact Val Stori, GPI senior program manager, at [email protected].
