National Gas FutureGrid Phase 1 Closure Report

This project, an essential part of the National Gas HyNTS programme, endeavours to align the NTS with GB’s net zero ambitions by demonstrating the operational viability of the system with varying hydrogen blends using decommissioned assets, typical of the natural gas network today, ultimately aiming for 100% hydrogen conveyance. Several desktop studies were undertaken within the HyNTS programme to confirm the theoretical potential of the NTS to transport hydrogen safely and reliably. Further to these studies, practical demonstration was deemed necessary to bridge the knowledge gaps and ensure the system’s transition maintains the utmost safety and reliability standards. A range of tests on decommissioned assets were conducted offline, in a controlled environment, to ensure robust outcomes that will ultimately start to build the safety case for a hydrogen network. The key deliverables and testing achievements of FutureGrid included: • Operational testing with natural gas and 2%, 5%, 20% and 100% hydrogen to verify the network’s ability to transport hydrogen and varying blends. • Standalone offline testing modules, complementing evidence gathered on the main test facility. These address specific areas of concern including material permeation, flange integrity, asset leakage, and rupture consequence, which are essential for risk mitigation and safety assurance. FutureGrid is a global first facility and a critical part of National Gas’ hydrogen programme, providing physical evidence of the capability of our network to transport hydrogen. It provides key evidence for hydrogen blending alongside 100% hydrogen pipelines, which are planned under Project Union, our Hydrogen Backbone across GB. FutureGrid is pivotal in the journey to reaching Net Zero by 2050 and is a fully operational, proven technical demonstrator. FutureGrid’s repurposed assets are representative of today’s live high pressure gas network and have been subjected to testing at different blends of natural gas with hydrogen and 100% hydrogen; this was achieved with no major findings in differences in terms of how the assets interact with hydrogen. The overall project completion date was delayed from November 2023 to February 2024, due to technical issues with the newly built hydrogen re‑compressor. There were no changes made to the project costs.