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| Reference Number | NIA_WWU_02_58 | |
| Title | Biomethane and Hydrogen Interactions | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Renewable Energy Sources (Bio-Energy, Other bio-energy) 50%; Hydrogen and Fuel Cells (Hydrogen, Hydrogen transport and distribution) 50%; |
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| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (Biological Sciences) 10%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 90%; |
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| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given Wales and West Utilities |
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| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 December 2023 | |
| End Date | 31 August 2024 | |
| Duration | ENA months | |
| Total Grant Value | £141,827 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Energy | |
| Region | Wales | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , Wales and West Utilities (99.991%) |
| Other Investigator | Project Contact , National Grid Gas Transmission (0.001%) Project Contact , Cadent Central (0.001%) Project Contact , Cadent Eastern (0.001%) Project Contact , Cadent North London (0.001%) Project Contact , Cadent North West (0.001%) Project Contact , Cadent West Midlands (0.001%) Project Contact , Northern Gas Network (NGN) North East (0.001%) Project Contact , SGN - Scotland (0.001%) Project Contact , SGN - Southern England (0.001%) |
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| Industrial Collaborator | Project Contact , Wales and West Utilities (0.000%) Project Contact , Northern Gas Networks (0.000%) Project Contact , Cadent Gas (0.000%) |
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| Web Site | https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA_WWU_02_58 |
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| Objectives | The project aims to explore how biomethane can be managed and used in areas of the gas network which are converted to dedicated hydrogen in the future. This will include whether there could be a role for blending a small proportion of biomethane in those networks; what options exist for biomethane sites to produce hydrogen in place of methane; what options exist to move biomethane to non-hydrogen areas either in transition or in the longer term.It will explore and present conclusions on:The best long-term use for biomethane in a gas system, including if that system is substantially converted to hydrogenHow hydrogen and biomethane could interact in the future system, and through the transitionWhat options exist to manage these interactions, eitherAt production sites, orAs part of the gas networkLikely decision points required, including responsibilities and criteriaPolicy and regulatory implications and requirementsRecommendations for further Research & Development Measurement Quality Statement and Data Quality StatementARUP will review the data and information requirements as part of the inception and kick off procedures. As part of the plan, they will identify milestones in the project for where data will need to be obtained, created, associated, merged or consumed. As part of the project inception, they will discuss with the networks the best approach for how to define, format, structure, and associate all project information and data so that it is easily accessed, consumed and usable (interoperable).All incoming information and data is registered, checked and reviewed for completeness, accuracyand integrity and communicated to the project team as appropriate minimising the risk of non-conformance throughout the project. The team will also look at how the data aligns with competing datasets, and any security and privacy implications and licence restrictions. ARUP will provide recommendations on the datasets received, and work with the networks to develop data management scenarios where required. Thyey will use data prioritization when they are given competing datasets , to decide which data to use for which application, and may seek to agree these with networks during the process. When using the data as part of our analyses, ARUP will document any transformation processes used via workflow diagrams for all datasets which will allow anyone accessing the data to understand how it has been processed and manipulated. They will work with the networks to understand if there are existing data standards and formats to align with in addition to following government standards. The project is rated low in the common assessment framework detailed in the ENIP document after assessing the total project value, the progression through the TRL levels, the number of project delivery partners and the medium level of data assumptions. No additional peer review is required for this project. WP 1 - Inception and baseline reviewAs part of the baseline review ARUP will consider existing knowledge, people, and projects, as well as complete a literature review to understand the current role of hydrogen and biomethane, biogas utilisation, and the future requirements of both gases for the demand sectors. The baseline review will then use a framework, which ARUP will create, to produce a relative score for the gas networks key priorities.As well as the desk study, virtual 1:1 interviews with key stakeholders will allow ARUP to gain an understanding of their current and future positions in the biomethane space, and their specific blockers and enablers. ARUP will present the baseline to the stakeholders to get their feedback and update to incorporate this.WP 2 - Stakeholder engagementConduct 1:1 interviews with a maximum of 15 key stakeholders to understand their objectives, constraints and concerns in relation to biomethane and its utilisation.Wider stakeholder engagement will be delivered through three stakeholder engagement workshops throughout the project, where ARUP will gather their knowledge, understanding, and test our analysis. These will consist of:Baseline understanding: gather views, objectives, concerns and opportunitiesTechnical, economic and regulations analysis: to understand opportunities for adapting new technologies, where R&D is focused, integration with LAEPs, and direction of future regulation.Scenarios and recommendations: Present suggested scenarios and recommendations to the key stakeholders and gather feedback on them. This may involve suggestions for collaboration between different groups, piloting new technology or identifying limitations in current regulations. Work with the stakeholders to agree on scenario refinements as well as understand the impacts of the scenarios on the stakeholders.Stakeholder input and outputs from the workshops will be used to inform each stage of the project.WP 3 - Technical and economic analysis of optionsEvaluation of biomethane demandARUP will analyse the market for biomethane, including specific areas for biomethane demand, and will consider which industries would suit biogas vs biomethane vs hydrogen.. We need to consider on a priority assessment where biomethane is required over biogas, and the rationale for conversion to hydrogen. Likewise, we need to consider how feedstock locations influence supply locations, the requirement for digestate, and how close supply is to demand locations.Establish an initial technology listARUP will use their baseline engagement with stakeholders to define the criteria and assumptions which they will then use to generate a long list of potential technology options to manage the interactions between hydrogen, biomethane, and gas networks. ARUP will examine technical readiness levels, industry best practise and innovative solutions, including options for alternative green gas generation. They will consider conventional biomethane with different substrates, but also options around gasification of waste streams.They also look at converting biomethane to hydrogen, whether through SMR turquoise hydrogen or another method, with or without bioCO2/carbon capture.Shortlisting and applying to scenariosARUP will assess a long list of technology options against the framework of key objectives for each scenario. They will use this framework to undertake a multi-criteria analysis to establish a shortlist of options which are feasible for implementation in each scenario i.e. what are the technical differences in a 100% biomethane network vs a blended hydrogen and biomethane network.Techno-economic modellingARUP will create a techno-economic model, considering the end-to-end process from production, network management and system operation, storage and any development of new infrastructure. They will examine how blends of gases can be managed (both technically and economically for the elements to combine), stored and transported. They will consider the transition between different scenarios, and what the barriers to this could be. Technical analysis will consider what is feasible, what sizes do different technologies need to be and how the energy flows within the system to optimise for cost and carbon.Economic analysis will be based on a whole life cost built up from CAPEX and OPEX. This will include a comparison with a counterfactual for the end use of biogas, this could be in a CHP for heat and power or as currently injected into the gas grid.WP 4 Analysis of regulatory implicationsReview and analysis of existing regulationsAs part of this workstream, ARUP will review the relevant regulations related to gas which exist in the UK currently, from both a commercial and technical perspective. This will include, but is not limited to, the following documents:Economic regulation: Gas licencing, Gas (calculation of thermal energy) Regulations 1996, Uniform Network Code including billing and settlement, Network Entry AgreementsTechnical regulation: GS(M)R1996, Pipeline Safety Regulations 1996, Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000, SR2021 No 7: generic risk assessment anaerobic digestion facility, including use of the resultant biogas waste recovery operation, T/PM/GQ/8 management procedure, Radioactive substances act., COSHH, Health and Safety at Work ActGeneric risk assessment - biomethane entry to grid (qualitative)Various parameters will be considered as part of this assessment. These will include Wobbe Number, oxygen content, incomplete combustion factor, soot index, gross calorific value, delivery temperature, odorant, hydrogen sulphide, water dew temperature, organohalide content, bio-hazards, carbon dioxide, contaminants, pressure, odour, total sulphur, and inerts.The parameter network entry requirements and requirement sources (such as GS(M)R) will be provided. The "expected value" of the parameters will be compared with the network entry requirement and deviations of each parameter from these requirements will be stated. Plausible explanations for these deviations will be provided, where available and feasible.Each scenario will be scored for both impact and likelihood of deviation or non-compliance, to create a risk score for each parameter. These will be used within the overarching framework to compare the scenarios.Recommendations and control measures based on the risk assessmentBased on the analysis and risk assessment, ARUP will provide recommendations and control measures which would be required to enable biomethane rollout. The recommendations and control measures will cover, where applicable, both regulatory change and technical recommendations to mitigate individual risks.WP 5 - Scenario DevelopmentTo develop a roadmap demonstrating how biomethane takes part in a hydrogen transition, ARUP will use their framework for decisions which will have been populated through the project to allow the team, guided by the stakeholders, to understand which scenarios are the most likely at which timescales, and how the gas networks might transition to a net zero future.ARUP will make use of the data and information gathered on biomethane resources by location (feedstock supply, hydrogen networks, the distribution of processing plants, and the volume of biogas potential), to look at what is appropriate for different geographic archetypes, based on the mapping undertaken in the baseline to provide more in-depth case study examples for each scenario. They will map spatially and numerically the potential deployment of any viable options, considering relevant regional factors such as rural vs urban, and supply vs demandARUP will make recommendations based on the scenario development to unlock the potential of biomethane, for example, if bottlenecks are identified they will recommend how these could be overcome, whether this be through technical, economic, regulatory, or other factors.ARUP will test their scenarios and recommendations as part of the stakeholder engagement and final stakeholder workshop.WP 6 - Recommendations and ReportBased on the outcome of ARUP"s analysis, they will develop a roadmap of recommendations from 2023 to 2050 across three areas:Policy & regulatory requirements- what industry regulations and internal standards need updating or modifying.Technical research and development to be conducted.Further work required by the gas networks Explore how biomethane can be managed and used in areas of the gas network which could be converted to dedicated hydrogen | |
| Abstract | This project will explore how biomethane can be managed and used in areas of the gas network which will be converted to 100% hydrogen. A report will be produced detailing whether there could be a role for blending a small proportion of biomethane in dedicated hydrogen networks; what options exist for biomethane sites to produce hydrogen in place of methane and what options exist to move biomethane to non-hydrogen areas either in transition or in the longer term. | |
| Data | No related datasets |
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| Projects | No related projects |
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| Publications | No related publications |
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| Added to Database | 02/10/24 | |
