HyP SA – Our safety story

Australian Gas Infrastructure Group’s (AGIG’s) vision is to be the leading gas infrastructure business in Australia, this means delivering for our customers, being a good employer and being sustainably cost efficient. Establishing and developing a hydrogen industry is a key pathway for us to achieve our vision.

In South Australia, AGIG is pioneering the introduction of hydrogen into its existing gas distribution networks through the Hydrogen Park South Australia (HyP SA) project. With safety our top priority, we would like to give an overview of the safety considerations of our site, our network methodology and the development of new safety procedures and culture regarding the production, handling and reticulation of a 5% hydrogen blend.

We will cover three themes, each having a safety story that is specific to the Australian context and to the project’s success:

The Production Plant and Site
Project site safety, known hazards and risk mitigation, electrical protection, safety procedures, lighting and security. Hydrogen storage filling and transportation.
The Network
Securing the network for an isolated safe demonstration footprint. Gas network and hydrogen safety considerations, why 5%? Emergency procedures and crew training. New safety regulations blended networks. How does hydrogen perform in a blended gas with respect to leaks? How safe is the existing network and what sensors and controls are we using.
The Home
Introducing blended gas to existing homes. Appliance safety and failure mode analysis. Community engagement and education on a 5% renewable hydrogen gas blend and use in the home
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We aim to give a comprehensive overview of delivering a safe demonstration network for the HyP SA project in terms of the three main ecosystems that the hydrogen will be present, our learnings so far and the development of the safety methodologies that will be applied in the industry in the future.