United Kingdom
Putting Bioenergy With Carbon Capture and Storage in a Spatial Context: What Should Go Where?
Mar 2022
Publication
This paper explores the implications of siting a bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) facility to carbon emission performances for three case-study supply chains using the Carbon Navigation System (CNS) model. The three case-study supply chains are a wheat straw derived BECCS-power a municipal solid waste derived BECCS-waste-to-energy and a sawmill residue derived BECCS-hydrogen. A BECCS facility needs to be carefully sited taking into consideration its local low carbon infrastructure available biomass and geography for successful deployment and achieving a favorable net-negative carbon balance. On average across the three supply chains a 10 km shift in the siting of the BECCS facility results in an 8.6–13.1% increase in spatially explicit supply chain emissions. BECCS facilities producing low purity CO2 at high yields have lower spatial emissions when located within the industrial clusters while those producing high purity CO2 at low yields perform better outside the clusters. A map is also generated identifying which of the three modeled supply chains delivers the lowest spatially explicit supply chain emission options for any given area of the UK at a 1 MtCO2/yr capture scale.
Energy From Waste and the Circular Economy
Jul 2020
Publication
The Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) and the Birmingham Energy Institute have launched a policy commission to examine the state of play barriers challenges and opportunities for Energy from Waste (EfW) to form part of the regional energy circular economy in the Midlands. This policy commission explores the case for regional investment whilst helping shape the regional local government and industry thinking surrounding critical issues such as fuel poverty and poor air quality.
The Challenge
Tackling climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. To follow the path for limiting global warming below 2ᵒC set out in the 2015 Paris agreement requires significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The UK has committed to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 requiring action at a local regional and national level to transition to a zero carbon economy.
To decarbonise and decentralise the UK’s energy system we must implement technologies that provide energy supply solutions across the UK.
In the Midlands many industrial sites are unable to access supply of affordable clean and reliable energy to meet their demands.
Energy from Waste (EfW) could offer a solution to the Midlands based industrial sites. EfW sites provide affordable secure energy supply solutions that form part of a developing circular economy. EfW reduces our reliance on landfills and obtains the maximum value from our waste streams. There are a number of merging technologies that could potentially play an important role which treats waste as a resource properly integrated into an energy and transport system and fully respects the potential of linking in the circular economy.
Investment into EfW infrastructure in the region could lead to job creation and economic growth and could help provide inward investment needed to redevelop old industrial sites and retiring power stations. However for EfW to be part of a net-zero energy system (either in transition or long-term) technologies and processes are needed that reduce the current carbon emissions burden.
EfW could play a significant role in the net zero carbon transition in the Midlands supplying heat power and green fuels and solve other problems - the region has some of the highest levels of energy/fuel poverty and poor air quality in the UK. The policy commission will help shape the regional local government and industry thinking surrounding this important topic.
Report Recommendations
Recovery Resource Cluster
The EfW policy commission proposes three major areas where it believes that government investment would be highly beneficial
The National Centre for the Circular Economy would analyse material flows throughout the economy down to regional and local levels and develop deep expertise in recycling and EfW technologies. The CCE would also provide expert guidance and support for local authorities as they develop local or regional strategies and planning frameworks.
The R&D Grand Challenge aims to make big advances in small-scale carbon capture technologies in order to turn 100% of CO2 produced through the process of converting waste to energy into useful products. This is very important for areas such as the Midlands which are remoted from depleted oil and gas reservoirs.
The Challenge
Tackling climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. To follow the path for limiting global warming below 2ᵒC set out in the 2015 Paris agreement requires significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The UK has committed to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 requiring action at a local regional and national level to transition to a zero carbon economy.
To decarbonise and decentralise the UK’s energy system we must implement technologies that provide energy supply solutions across the UK.
In the Midlands many industrial sites are unable to access supply of affordable clean and reliable energy to meet their demands.
Energy from Waste (EfW) could offer a solution to the Midlands based industrial sites. EfW sites provide affordable secure energy supply solutions that form part of a developing circular economy. EfW reduces our reliance on landfills and obtains the maximum value from our waste streams. There are a number of merging technologies that could potentially play an important role which treats waste as a resource properly integrated into an energy and transport system and fully respects the potential of linking in the circular economy.
Investment into EfW infrastructure in the region could lead to job creation and economic growth and could help provide inward investment needed to redevelop old industrial sites and retiring power stations. However for EfW to be part of a net-zero energy system (either in transition or long-term) technologies and processes are needed that reduce the current carbon emissions burden.
EfW could play a significant role in the net zero carbon transition in the Midlands supplying heat power and green fuels and solve other problems - the region has some of the highest levels of energy/fuel poverty and poor air quality in the UK. The policy commission will help shape the regional local government and industry thinking surrounding this important topic.
Report Recommendations
Recovery Resource Cluster
The EfW policy commission proposes three major areas where it believes that government investment would be highly beneficial
- Building a network of local and regional Resource Recovery Clusters
- Creating a National Centre for the Circular Economy
- Launching an R&D Grand Challenge to develop small-scale circular carbon capture technologies.
The National Centre for the Circular Economy would analyse material flows throughout the economy down to regional and local levels and develop deep expertise in recycling and EfW technologies. The CCE would also provide expert guidance and support for local authorities as they develop local or regional strategies and planning frameworks.
The R&D Grand Challenge aims to make big advances in small-scale carbon capture technologies in order to turn 100% of CO2 produced through the process of converting waste to energy into useful products. This is very important for areas such as the Midlands which are remoted from depleted oil and gas reservoirs.
Application of Pipeline QRA Methodologies to Hydrogen Pipelines in Support of the Transition to a Decarbonised Future
Sep 2021
Publication
Hydrogen is expected to play a key role in the decarbonised future of energy. For hydrogen distribution pipelines are seen as the main method for mass transport of hydrogen gas. To support the evaluation of risk related to hydrogen pipelines a revised QRA methodology is presented based on currently available and industry accepted guidance related to natural gas. The QRA approach is primarily taken from HSE UK’s MISHAP methodology [1]. The base methodology is reviewed and modifications suggested to adapt it for use with hydrogen gas transport. Compared to natural gas it was found that the escape distances for hydrogen (based on the degree of heat flux) were lower. However as for the overall risk for both individual and societal the case with hydrogen was more severe close to the pipeline. This was driven by the increased ignition probability of hydrogen. The approach may be used as part of the review and appraisal process of hydrogen projects
Combined Ammonia Recovery and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Use at Wastewater Treatment Plants for Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emission Improvements
Feb 2019
Publication
Current standard practice at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) involves the recycling of digestate liquor produced from the anaerobic digestion of sludge back into the treatment process. However a significant amount of energy is required to enable biological breakdown of ammonia present in the liquor. This biological processing also results in the emission of damaging quantities of greenhouse gases making diversion of liquor and recovery of ammonia a noteworthy option for improving the sustainability of wastewater treatment. This study presents a novel process which combines ammonia recovery from diverted digestate liquor for use (alongside biomethane) in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system for implementation at WWTPs. Aspen Plus V.8.8 and numerical steady state models have been developed using data from a WWTP in West Yorkshire (UK) as a reference facility (750000p.e.). Aspen Plus simulations demonstrate an ability to recover 82% of ammoniacal nitrogen present in digestate liquor produced at the WWTP. The recovery process uses a series of stripping absorption and flash separation units where water is recovered alongside ammonia. This facilitates effective internal steam methane as a case of study has the potential to make significant impacts energetically and environmentally; findings suggest the treatment facility could transform from a net consumer of electricity to a net producer. The SOFC has been demonstrated to run at an electrical efficiency of 48% with NH3 contributing 4.6% of its power output. It has also been demonstrated that 3.5 kg CO2e per person served by the WWTP could be mitigated a year due to a combination of emissions savings by diversion of ammonia from biological processing and lifecycle emissions associated with the lack of reliance on grid electricity.
Performance of Hydrogen Storage Tanks of Type IV in a Fire: Effect of the State of Charge
Sep 2021
Publication
The use of hydrogen storage tanks at 100% of nominal working pressure (NWP) is expected only after refuelling. Driving between refuellings is characterised by the state of charge SoC <100%. There is experimental evidence that Type IV tanks tested in a fire at initial pressures below 1/3 NWP leaked without rupture. This paper aims at understanding this phenomenon. The numerical research has demonstrated that the heat transfer from fire through the composite overwrap at storage pressures below NWP/3 is sufficient to melt the polymer liner. This melting initiates hydrogen microleaks through the composite before it loses the load-bearing ability. The fire-resistance rating (FRR) is defined as the time to rupture in a fire of a tank without or with blocked thermally activated pressure relief device. The dependence of a FRR on the SoC is demonstrated for the tanks with defined material properties and volumes in the range of 36–244 L. A composite wall thickness variation is shown to cause a safety issue by reducing the tank’s FRR and is suggested to be addressed by tank manufacturers and OEMs. The effect of a tank’s burst pressure ratio on the FRR is investigated. Thermal parameters of the composite wall i.e. decomposition heat and temperatures are shown in simulations of a tank failure in a fire to play an important role in its FRR.
OIES Podcast: Global Trade of Hydrogen: What is the Best Way to Transfer Hydrogen Over Long Distances?
Aug 2022
Publication
In this podcast David Ledesma talks with Rahmat Poudineh Senior Research Fellow and Aliaksei Patonia Research Fellow on issues and options with respect to long distance transportation of the hydrogen.
Hydrogen currently is mainly a local or regional commodity. If hydrogen is to become a truly global-traded commodity it needs to be transported over long transoceanic distances in an economical way. However unlike natural gas shipping compressed or liquefied hydrogen over long distances is very inefficient and expensive. At the same time hydrogen can be converted into multiple carriers with a higher energy density and higher transport capacity such as liquid ammonia toluene/methylcyclohexane (MCH) or methanol. These chemicals have their own advantages and drawbacks and their techno-economic characteristics in terms of boil-off gas and thermodynamic and conversion losses play a key role in the efficiency of transoceanic transportation of the hydrogen.
On the other hand apart from techno-economic features there are other factors to consider for long distance transportation of the hydrogen via its careers. Here such issues as safety public acceptance as well as legal and regulatory constraints may come into play. Another factor is the availability of the industries and infrastructures already developed around any of possible hydrogen carriers as well as their potential industrial applicability beyond hydrogen. Finally technological progress in other decarbonization applications and most importantly full commercialization of CCUS solutions is likely to dramatically change the approach towards long distance hydrogen transportation.
The podcast can be found on their website.
Hydrogen currently is mainly a local or regional commodity. If hydrogen is to become a truly global-traded commodity it needs to be transported over long transoceanic distances in an economical way. However unlike natural gas shipping compressed or liquefied hydrogen over long distances is very inefficient and expensive. At the same time hydrogen can be converted into multiple carriers with a higher energy density and higher transport capacity such as liquid ammonia toluene/methylcyclohexane (MCH) or methanol. These chemicals have their own advantages and drawbacks and their techno-economic characteristics in terms of boil-off gas and thermodynamic and conversion losses play a key role in the efficiency of transoceanic transportation of the hydrogen.
On the other hand apart from techno-economic features there are other factors to consider for long distance transportation of the hydrogen via its careers. Here such issues as safety public acceptance as well as legal and regulatory constraints may come into play. Another factor is the availability of the industries and infrastructures already developed around any of possible hydrogen carriers as well as their potential industrial applicability beyond hydrogen. Finally technological progress in other decarbonization applications and most importantly full commercialization of CCUS solutions is likely to dramatically change the approach towards long distance hydrogen transportation.
The podcast can be found on their website.
A Brief History of Process Safety Management
Sep 2021
Publication
Common root causes are often to be found in many if not most process safety incidents. Whilst largescale events are relatively rare such events can have devastating consequences. The subsequent investigations often uncover that the risks are rarely visible the direct causes are often hidden and that a ‘normalization of deviation’ is a common human characteristic. Process Safety Management (PSM) builds on the valuable lessons learned from past incidents to help prevent future recurrences. An understanding of how PSM originated and has evolved as a discipline over the past 200 years can be instructive when considering the safety implications of emerging technologies. An example is hydrogen production where risks must be effectively identified mitigated and addressed to provide safe production transportation storage and use .
Hydrogen Wide Area Monitoring of LH2 Releases at HSE for the PRESLHY Project
Sep 2021
Publication
The characterization of liquid hydrogen (LH2) releases has been identified as an international research priority to facilitate the safe use of hydrogen as an energy carrier. Empirical field measurements such as those afforded by Hydrogen Wide Area Monitoring can elucidate the behavior of LH2 releases which can then be used to support and validate dispersion models. Hydrogen Wide Area Monitoring can be defined as the quantitative three-dimensional spatial and temporal profiling of planned or unintentional hydrogen releases. The NREL Sensor Laboratory developed a Hydrogen Wide Area Monitor (HyWAM) based upon a distributed array of hydrogen sensors. The NREL Sensor Laboratory and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) formally committed to collaborate on profiling GH2 and LH2 releases which allowed for the integration of the NREL HyWAM into the HSE LH2 release behavior investigation supported by the FCH JU Prenormative Research for the Safe Use of Liquid Hydrogen (PRESLHY) program. A HyWAM system was deployed consisting of 32 hydrogen measurement points and co-located temperature sensors distributed downstream of the LH2 release apparatus developed by HSE. In addition the HyWAM deployment was supported by proximal wind and weather monitors. In a separate presentation at this conference “HSE Experimental Summary for the Characterisation Dispersion and Electrostatic Hazards of LH2 for the PRESLHY Project” HSE researchers summarize the experimental apparatus and protocols utilized in the HSE LH2 releases that were performed under the auspices of PRESLHY. As a supplement to the HSE presentation this presentation will focus on the spatial and temporal behavior LH2 releases as measured by the NREL HyWAM. Correlations to ambient conditions such as wind speed and direction plume temperature and hydrogen concentrations will be discussed in addition to the design and performance of the NREL HyWAM and its potential for improving hydrogen facility safety.
Approaches and Methods to Demonstrate Repurposing of the UK's Local Transmission System (LTS) Pipelines for Transportation of Hydrogen
Sep 2021
Publication
Hydrogen has the potential as an energy solution to contribute to decarbonisation targets as it has the capability to deliver low-carbon energy at the scale required. For this to be realised the suitability of the existing natural gas pipeline networks for transporting hydrogen must be established. The current paper describes a feasibility study that was undertaken to assess the potential for repurposing the UK’s Local Transmission System (LTS) natural gas pipelines for hydrogen service. The analysis focused on SGN’s network which includes 3000 km of LTS pipelines in Scotland and the south of England. The characteristics of the LTS pipelines in terms of materials of construction and operation were first evaluated. This analysis showed that a significant percentage of SGN’s LTS network consists of lower strength grades of steel pipeline that operate at low stresses which are factors conducive to a pipeline’s suitability for hydrogen service. An assessment was also made of where existing approaches in pipeline operation may require modifications for hydrogen. The effects of changes in mechanical properties of steel pipelines on integrity and lifetime as a result of potential hydrogen degradation were demonstrated using fitness-for-purpose analysis. A review of pipeline risk assessment and Land-Use Planning (LUP) zone calculations for hydrogen was undertaken to identify any required changes. Case studies on selected sections of the LTS pipeline were then carried out to illustrate the potential changes to LUP zones. The work concluded with a summary of identified gaps that require addressing to ensure safe pipeline repurposing for hydrogen which cover materials performance inspection risk assessment land use planning and procedures.
Water Electrolysis: From Textbook Knowledge to the Latest Scientific Strategies and Industrial Developments
May 2022
Publication
Replacing fossil fuels with energy sources and carriers that are sustainable environmentally benign and affordable is amongst the most pressing challenges for future socio-economic development. To that goal hydrogen is presumed to be the most promising energy carrier. Electrocatalytic water splitting if driven by green electricity would provide hydrogen with minimal CO2 footprint. The viability of water electrolysis still hinges on the availability of durable earth-abundant electrocatalyst materials and the overall process efficiency. This review spans from the fundamentals of electrocatalytically initiated water splitting to the very latest scientific findings from university and institutional research also covering specifications and special features of the current industrial processes and those processes currently being tested in large-scale applications. Recently developed strategies are described for the optimisation and discovery of active and durable materials for electrodes that ever-increasingly harness first principles calculations and machine learning. In addition a technoeconomic analysis of water electrolysis is included that allows an assessment of the extent to which a large-scale implementation of water splitting can help to combat climate change. This review article is intended to cross-pollinate and strengthen efforts from fundamental understanding to technical implementation and to improve the ‘junctions’ between the field’s physical chemists materials scientists and engineers as well as stimulate much-needed exchange among these groups on challenges encountered in the different domains.
Towards Net-zero Compatible Hydrogen from Steam Reformation - Techno-economic Analysis of Process Design Options
Dec 2022
Publication
Increased consumption of low-carbon hydrogen is prominent in the decarbonisation strategies of many jurisdictions. Yet prior studies assessing the current most prevalent production method steam reformation of natural gas (SRNG) have not sufficiently evaluated how process design decisions affect life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This techno-economic case study assesses cradle-to-gate emissions of hydrogen produced from SRNG with CO2 capture and storage (CCS) in British Columbia Canada. Four process configurations with amine-based CCS using existing technology and novel process designs are evaluated. We find that cradle-to-gate GHG emission intensity ranges from 0.7 to 2.7 kgCO2e/kgH2 – significantly lower than previous studies of SRNG with CCS and similar to the range of published estimates for hydrogen produced from renewable-powered electrolysis. The levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) in this study (US$1.1–1.3/kgH2) is significantly lower than published estimates for renewable-powered electrolysis.
Governing the UK’s Transition to Decarbonised Heating: Lessons from a Systematic Review of Past and Ongoing Heat Transitions
May 2020
Publication
According to the UK’s Committee on Climate Change the economically efficient achievement of Government’s legally-binding carbon-reduction target will require full decarbonisation of all heat in buildings and the decarbonisation of most industrial heat over the next 20 to 30 years (BEIS 2018). This goliath task is not unprecedented. Indeed the scale of this transition is similar to the UK’s former transition from coal to natural gas heating. Albeit the rate of transition away from natural gas will certainly need to be greater than the rate of the transition toward natural gas to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.<br/><br/>At present Government’s commitment stands in sharp contrast with its inaction on heat decarbonisation to date. Under pressure to progress this agenda Government has charged the Clean Heat Directorate with the task of outlining the process for determining the UK’s long-term heat policy framework to be published in the ‘Roadmap for policy on heat decarbonisation’ in the summer of 2020 (BEIS 2017). This report resulting from one of six EPSRC-funded secondments is designed to support early thinking on the roadmap by answering the research question: How can ‘Transitions’ research informs the roadmap for governing the UK’s heating transition?<br/><br/>‘Transitions’ research is an interdisciplinary field of study within the Social Sciences and Humanities that investigates the co-evolution of social and technological systems (such as the UK heating system) and the dynamics by which fundamental change in these systems occur. To investigate what insights this area of research may hold for the governance of the UK’s heat transition a systematic literature review was conducted focusing specifically on past and ongoing heat transitions across Europe.<br/><br/>The review uncovered learnings about the role of path dependency; power and politics; complexity; cross-sector interactions; multi-level governance; and intermediaries in shaping non-linear transitions toward renewable heat. This report illustrates each learning with real-world examples from case studies undertaken by Transitions researchers and concludes with a long list of policy and process-oriented governance recommendations for the UK Government.
Condensed Phase Explosions Involving Liquid Hydrogen
Sep 2021
Publication
Liquid hydrogen may have an important role in the storage and transportation of hydrogen energy. It may also provide the best option for some users of hydrogen energy notably the aviation sector. In the 1960’s liquid hydrogen spillages in open uncongested conditions sometimes produced violent condensed phase explosions as well as the familiar gas phase flash and sustained pool fire. Testing showed that burning mixtures of LH2 and solid oxygen/nitrogen readily transitioned to detonation for oxygen concentrations in the solid phase at or above 50%. Such explosive events have been observed in more recent research work on LH2 spillage and the pressure effects could be significant in some accident scenarios. There is a need to understand how solids are produced following spillage and what factors determine the level of oxygen enrichment. This paper describes the physical processes involved in the accumulation of solids during a horizontal discharge at ground level based on observations made in a recent HSE test that led to a condensed phase explosion. Areas where solids accumulated but remained in intimate contact with LH2 are identified. The paper also includes a thermodynamic and fluid mechanical analysis of the condensation process that includes the calculation of densities of mixtures of LH2 and air in different proportions. When the difference in flow speed between air and underlying LH2 is low a stable condensation layer can develop above the liquid where the temperature is just under the initial condensation point of air allowing sustained oxygen enrichment of condensate.
Techno-economic Assessment of a Hybrid Off-grid DC System for Combined Heat and Power Generation in Remote Islands
Mar 2019
Publication
Hybrid renewable energy systems that combine heat and electricity generation is an achievable option for remote areas where grid is uneconomical to extend. In this study a renewable-based system was designed to satisfy the electrical and thermal demands of a remote household in an off-grid Greek island. A hybrid DC system consisted of a combination of photovoltaic modules wind turbine electrolyzer-hydrogen tank fuel cell and batteries were analysed using HOMER Pro software. Based on the optimal obtained system it is found that such a system can satisfy both electrical and thermal load demand throughout the year in a reliable manner.
Energy Innovation Needs Assessment: Overview
Nov 2019
Publication
This project provides evidence to identify the key innovation needs across the UK’s energy system to inform the prioritisation of public sector investment in low-carbon innovation including any future phases of the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Energy Innovation1 Programme. The BEIS Energy Innovation Programme aims to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative clean energy technologies and processes into the 2020s and 2030s. The current Programme with a budget of £505 million from 2015-2021 consists of six themes and invests in smart systems industry & CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) the built environment nuclear renewables and support for energy entrepreneurs and green financing.
Vivid Economics was contracted to lead a consortium with technical expertise in each of the Energy Innovation Needs Assessment (EINA) priority areas. The programme relied on evidence from a programme of workshops with over 180 participants energy system modelling and detailed technical advice. Partners include the Carbon Trust E4tech Imperial College London and Fraser-Nash. The Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) provided analytical evidence using their Energy System Modelling Environment (ESME) to support an early pre-screening of technologies.
Innovations have been prioritised where there is a strong case for UK Government investment. The prioritisation in this report is based on evidence of the potential benefits to the UK via a lower cost energy system and larger export markets. We also consider whether there is a need for UK Government intervention in addition to private and international efforts.
A distinctive feature of this project is its focus on innovation that benefits the whole energy system. Internationally there are other efforts attempting to answer the question of where to target resources to maximise benefits from innovation2. In selecting priorities we identify innovations that can unlock value across electricity heat transport sectors and the rest of the economy.
Vivid Economics was contracted to lead a consortium with technical expertise in each of the Energy Innovation Needs Assessment (EINA) priority areas. The programme relied on evidence from a programme of workshops with over 180 participants energy system modelling and detailed technical advice. Partners include the Carbon Trust E4tech Imperial College London and Fraser-Nash. The Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) provided analytical evidence using their Energy System Modelling Environment (ESME) to support an early pre-screening of technologies.
Innovations have been prioritised where there is a strong case for UK Government investment. The prioritisation in this report is based on evidence of the potential benefits to the UK via a lower cost energy system and larger export markets. We also consider whether there is a need for UK Government intervention in addition to private and international efforts.
A distinctive feature of this project is its focus on innovation that benefits the whole energy system. Internationally there are other efforts attempting to answer the question of where to target resources to maximise benefits from innovation2. In selecting priorities we identify innovations that can unlock value across electricity heat transport sectors and the rest of the economy.
Impact Assessment of Hydrogen on Transmission Pipeline BPDs in IGEM/TD/1
Jul 2021
Publication
As part of the LTS Futures HyTechnical project IGEM requested that DNV GL undertake an assessment of the possible impact of hydrogen transmission on BPDs to support the development of supplements to the existing suite of natural gas standards to accommodate the possible future use of hydrogen. The current state of knowledge of the behaviour of large scale high pressure hydrogen releases is limited in comparison with the considerable body of data from research and operational experience of natural gas but is adequate to undertake an impact assessment to take account of the different gas outflow and fire characteristics of 100% hydrogen vs. natural gas.<br/>Calculations of the BPDs for 100% hydrogen pipeline fires on an equivalent basis to those in IGEM/TD/1 for natural gas have been performed with a degree of confidence in the results and demonstrated that the equivalent BPDs for 100% hydrogen are approximately 10% smaller than for natural gas. The results are presented graphically in this report.<br/>However hydrogen introduces the potential for substantially higher overpressures than natural gas due to the higher flame speed and wider flammable limits if delayed ignition is a credible event. The overpressure estimates presented in this report are intended to be scoping calculations to put the likely overpressures into context. The results suggest that significant overpressures are possible at the BPDs but there is a lack of evidence to support the estimation of the overpressures following delayed ignition of a large turbulent hydrogen release in the open (in contrast to explosions in confined or congested regions) and there is a high degree of uncertainty in the predictions presented here. It is therefore recommended that large scale pipeline rupture experiments are performed similar to those undertaken previously for hydrogen natural gas and natural gas/hydrogen mixtures but with ignition engineered to take place after a short delay in order to measure the overpressures and provide the means to validate or refine the predictions made.<br/>The analysis has highlighted limitations in the original method of calculating BPDs in IGEM/TD/1 which reflects the techniques available at the time approximately 40 years ago. Since then understanding of the hazards from pipeline failures and the ability to model the consequences and predict the associated risks to people in the surrounding area have advanced very considerably facilitated by software tools and documented in standards such as IGEM/TD/2. These methods allow the highly transient nature of a high pressure gas pipeline rupture release to be modelled more accurately and for the thermal effects of fires on people and buildings to be calculated taking account of the time-varying thermal dose.<br/>For these reasons a simple comparison of the possible overpressure effects of delayed ignition of a 100% hydrogen release at the BPDs can be misleading and implies that the overpressure hazards could be more severe than those for fires which may not be the case. Example calculations have been performed for a representative pipeline case which indicate that using current methods the predicted thermal hazard distances for 100% hydrogen pipeline fires (house burning and escape for people) are substantially greater than those estimated for overpressures following delayed ignition for similar levels of vulnerability. This report addresses buried pipelines only – the potential for more severe explosion overpressure effects for hydrogen releases may be more significant for Above Ground Installations (AGIs) especially where congestion or confinement may be present. It is recommended that similar studies are conducted to quantify the effect of hydrogen conversion on the consequences and risks associated with hydrogen releases at AGIs.<br/>Finally it is stressed that the analysis in this report does not consider the relative risks for 100% hydrogen and the equivalent natural gas pipelines. There remain uncertainties in the failure frequencies for steel pipelines transporting hydrogen and particularly the probability of immediate and delayed ignition. The likelihood of delayed ignition of a large turbulent high pressure hydrogen gas pipeline rupture release may be very low due to the wider flammability limits and lower minimum ignition energy for hydrogen compared with natural gas. Additional research is currently ongoing or planned to address the gaps in knowledge for 100% hydrogen which should allow more robust comparisons of the relative risks to be made in the future.
Oxford Energy Podcast – Saudi Aramco’s Perspectives on Hydrogen: Opportunities and Challenges
Jun 2021
Publication
As the world’s largest integrated energy and chemicals company Saudi Aramco continues to invest in technologies and innovative business models to enable the sustainable use of hydrocarbon resources across the value chain. In this podcast David Ledesma discusses with Yasser Mufti Vice President Strategy & Market Analysis Saudi Aramco about Saudi Aramco’s perspectives on hydrogen its opportunities and challenges. This wide-ranging interview discusses Saudi Aramco’s investment in new technologies and the sustainable use of its hydrocarbon resources before addressing the role of hydrogen in achieving a low emissions economy possible business models and the barriers to achieving hydrogen’s growth. The podcast then moves on to discuss ammonia carbon capture utilisation and storage finishing up with a forward-looking perspective on the vision for Saudi Aramco asking how will the company look in 2050 and specifically whether it will still be a hydrocarbon company?
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
HydroGenerally - Episode 5: Hydrogen for Glass Production
May 2022
Publication
In this fifth episode Steffan Eldred and Neelam Mughal from Innovate UK KTN discuss how the glass industry is driving new hydrogen developments and research and explore the hydrogen transition opportunities and challenges in this sector alongside their special guest Rob Ireson Innovation and Partnerships Manager at Glass Futures Ltd.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Electrification Versus Hydrogen for UK Road Freight: Conclusions from a Systems Analysis of Transport Energy Transitions
Mar 2022
Publication
Collectively the UK investment in transport decarbonisation is greater than £27B from government for incentivising zero-emission vehicles as part of an urgent response to decarbonise the transport sector. The investments made must facilitate a transition to a long-term solution. The success relies on coordinating and testing the evolution of both the energy and transport systems this avoids the risk of unforeseen consequences in both systems and therefore de-risks investment Here we present a semiquantitative energy and transport system analysis for UK road freight focusing on two primary investment areas for nation-wide decarbonisation namely electrification and hydrogen propulsion. Our study assembles and assesses the potential roadblocks of these energy systems into a concise record and considers the infrastructure in relation to all other components within the energy system. It highlights that for system-wide success and resilience a hydrogen system must overcome hydrogen production and distribution barriers whereas an electric system needs to optimise storage solutions and charging facilities. Without cohesive co-evolving energy networks the planning and operational modelling of transport decarbonisation may fall short of meaningful real-world results. A developed understanding of the dependencies between the energy and transport systems is a necessary step in the development of meaningful operational transport models that could de-risk investment in both the energy and transport systems.
Solar Energy: Applications, Trends Analysis, Bibliometric Analysis and Research Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Jan 2023
Publication
Over the past decade energy demand has witnessed a drastic increase mainly due to huge development in the industry sector and growing populations. This has led to the global utilization of renewable energy resources and technologies to meet this high demand as fossil fuels are bound to end and are causing harm to the environment. Solar PV (photovoltaic) systems are a renewable energy technology that allows the utilization of solar energy directly from the sun to meet electricity demands. Solar PV has the potential to create a reliable clean and stable energy systems for the future. This paper discusses the different types and generations of solar PV technologies available as well as several important applications of solar PV systems which are “Large-Scale Solar PV” “Residential Solar PV” “Green Hydrogen” “Water Desalination” and “Transportation”. This paper also provides research on the number of solar papers and their applications that relate to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the years between 2011 and 2021. A total of 126513 papers were analyzed. The results show that 72% of these papers are within SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. This shows that there is a lack of research in solar energy regarding the SDGs especially SDG 1: No Poverty SDG 4: Quality Education SDG 5: Gender Equality SDG 9: Industry Innovation and Infrastructure SDG 10: Reduced Inequality and SDG 16: Peace Justice and Strong Institutions. More research is needed in these fields to create a sustainable world with solar PV technologies.
No more items...