f HyDeploy2: Summary of Procedures for the Trial Network

The assessment of appropriate operational procedures to govern the injection of a hydrogen/natural gas blend into Northern Gas Networks’ (NGN) Winlaton gas distribution network was a key requirement of the HyDeploy2 project. To perform this assessment the review was broken down into two areas, procedures upstream of the emergency control valve (owned by NGN) and procedures downstream of the Emergency Control Valve (procedures which would be performed by Gas Safe registered individuals). Assessment of the upstream procedures was led by NGN (own and carry out all upstream procedures on NGN’s gas network) and assessment of the downstream procedures was led by Blue Flame Associates (an industry expert on downstream gas procedures).
Methodologies were adopted to be able to highlight procedures that could potentially be used on the Winlaton trial network during the hydrogen blended gas injection period and if they were impacted by the changing of the gas within the network from natural gas to hydrogen blended gas. This method determined that for downstream gas procedures a total of 56 gas procedures required expert review, resulting in 80 technical questions to be assessed and for the upstream gas procedures a total of 80 gas procedures required expert review, resulting in 266 technical questions to be assessed.
The operational procedures assessment has led to a determination as to whether a change is or is not required for relevant operational procedures where a basis of concern existed with respect to the injection of hydrogen blended gas. Any requirements to modify an existing procedure has been given in this report referencing the source as to where the detailed analysis for the change/no change recommendation has been given.
The assessment took into account the associated experimental and research carried out as part of the HyDeploy and HyDeploy2 projects such as the assessment of gas characteristics, materials impact, appliance, survey of assets on the Winlaton network and impact of hydrogen blended gas on gas detection equipment, references to these studies have been given accordingly to associated impacted operational procedures.
The conclusion of the assessment is that for upstream gas procedures there are some operational procedures that are unchanged, some that require an increase in the frequency as to how often they are performed and some procedures which require a technical modification. For downstream domestic gas procedures all procedures applicable to a domestic gas installation were deemed to not be detrimentally affected by the introduction of a 20 mol% hydrogen blend.
For upstream gas procedures, an appropriate training package will be built off the back of the results presented in this report and disseminated accordingly to all relevant Operatives that will be responsible for the safety, operation and maintenance of the Winlaton network during the hydrogen blend injection period. For downstream gas procedures the Gas Safe community have been fully engaged and informed about the trial.
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