Pre-Normative Research about the compatibility of transmission gas grid steels with hydrogen and development of mitigation techniques
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking or Clean Hydrogen Partnership is a unique public-private partnership supporting research and innovation (R&I) activities in hydrogen technologies in Europe. It builds upon the success of its predecessor, the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
This topic is aimed at accelerating the deployment of a safe, flexible, and efficient hydrogen grid by repurposing part of the gas networks, as this solution is expected to be particularly cost-effective compared to the development of new pipes.
The project should focus on specific critical issues that are insufficiently covered by existing publicly available knowledge, like hydrogen embrittlement in pipe and girth welds and heat affected zones (HAZ), Fatigue Crack Growth mechanisms and update of criteria for assessment of flaws. Modern new steel grades likely to meet the deployment needs of H2 networks should also be investigated (allowing connections of hydrogen producers and consumers to repurposed grids).
This project should cover steel grades constitutive of the gas Transmission networks, that are particularly sensitive to hydrogen embrittlement due to some high strength grades, high service pressure and potentially impacting pressure cycling.
Detailed Call Description
The gas industry has identified that solutions to mitigate the impact of hydrogen could enable a higher conversion rate for natural gas pipelines to hydrogen operation. Early-stage developments of internal coatings, inhibitors, and preparation of guidelines to adapt network operating conditions are ongoing and need to be accelerated.
Proposals should:
- Propose a testing approach covering the most relevant steel grades constitutive of EU transmission gas grids (with a particular attention to ensuring a good geographical coverage) and their different (current and envisioned future) operating conditions (maximum pressure, pressure cycling, etc.) for a 100% hydrogen service (natural gas/hydrogen mixtures are not in the scope of this topic; however, due to the partial pressure of hydrogen being the driving parameter, it is expected that studying various pressure conditions will contribute indirectly to qualifying grid for mixtures as well). This approach should combine mechanical tests and innovative modelling approaches.
- Deliver harmonised protocols and run material tests to measure the mechanical properties affected by the presence of hydrogen which are critical for its integration into networks, based upon the gap analysis performed, and focusing on critical effects (should include fatigue crack growth rate, fracture toughness, and impacts on welds and HAZ) and impact of chemical composition for grid components and future pipes. The shared protocols should ensure all results will be comparable between the different testing laboratories involved and should serve as a standardised reference guideline for future investigations.
- After the testing work-packages, deliver to relevant standardisation bodies a matrix of gas grid steel grades’ behaviour in the presence of hydrogen as a function of network operating conditions, assessing the compatibility of vintage and new components. Projects should also define design criteria including the allowed size of defects, depending on the hydrogen gas pressure. It is expected that the projects should propose new Pre-Normative assessment master-curves to reduce current over-conservatism of existing norms that is ineffectively slowing down H2-readiness assessments. It is also expected that these Pre-Normative results will strongly limit the current redundancy of costly R&D actions conducted in the different EU Member States, and deliver common approval guidelines to national authorities. Therefore, it is expected that all the data and results from the projects will be made entirely public.
- Investigate and propose initial guidelines for mitigation techniques limiting hydrogen uptake and thus embrittlement (such as adapted network operating conditions, inhibitors, or coating) for repurposed or new hydrogen grids and document their impact.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
EU Contribution per project: € 4,000,000
Number of proposals: 1
Thematic Categories
- Energy
- Environment and Climate Change
- Other Thematic Category
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- International Organisations
- Large Enterprises
- Legal Entities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Parliamentary Bodies
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Semi-governmental organisations
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to ensure an exhaustive geographical coverage, the consortium should include a large panel of TSOs from different EU Member States, whose operated networks represent the variety of EU gas transmission infrastructure. The knowledge and differences in the national networks can be very significant, therefore the EU wide coverage should guarantee full usability of results for EU companies.
Involvement of – formal standardisation bodies as part of the consortia is encouraged, with the aim of facilitating the uptake of the project results.
Beneficiaries must, up to 4 years after the end of the action, inform the granting authority if the results could reasonably be expected to contribute to European or international standards.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
EU Contact Point
Email: info@clean-hydrogen.europa.eu
Phone number: +32 22218148
Postal address: Avenue de la Toison d’Or 56-60, 1060 Brussels, Belgium
(Publish Date: 01/03/2023-for internal use only)