f Technical Summary of the NGGT and Partners' Feasibility Study of Hydrogen Fuel Gas for NTS Compressors

This Networks Innovation Allowance (NIA) funded project (NIA_NGGT0176), comprised a feasibility study on an exemplar National Grid Gas Transmission (NGGT) National Transmission System (NTS) compressor station. The study has examined safety, environmental, technical, operational and economic issues in blending hydrogen/methane for combustion in a gas turbine (GT) driving NTS compression. The project also determined how to establish an innovative green hydrogen production, storage and supply facility to fuel GTs on varying hydrogen/methane blends.
This strategic study is preparatory work ahead of demonstration on an NTS compressor station, which precedes hydrogen blending in NTS compressors as ‘business as usual’. Higher hydrogen concentrations may be achieved in the GTs in advance of similar blends within the transmission pipes. As such, this strategic and innovative project could de-risk the hydrogen transition of GT compression operations and bring forward CO2 and NOx reductions.
For the feasibility study, two scenarios have been assessed: co-firing with 25%/75% vol hydrogen/natural gas blend and 100% vol hydrogen.
The study found it is viable to run the Siemens Energy SGT-A20 GTs on blends of hydrogen and natural gas up to 100% hydrogen and there are historic examples of this type of GT doing so without detriment.
This report was submitted to HSE for their assessment of the safety evidence for 100% hydrogen heating, which can be found at Hydrogen heating: HSE assessment of the safety evidence - GOV.UK.
Queries should be directed to DESNZ: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-desnz