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North Sea pipelines receive go ahead for transporting green hydrogen
19/10/2022
News
Noordgastransport (NGT) and Northern Offshore Gas Transport (NOGAT) report that they have become the first pipeline owners to receive a Certificate of Fitness for the transport of green hydrogen through their existing pipelines in the North Sea. The certification was awarded by Bureau Veritas Inspection & Certification.
NGT is a Dutch company operating nearly 500 km of pipelines in the North Sea, bringing about 30% of the natural gas produced in the Dutch North Sea ashore. Northern Offshore Gas Transport (NOGAT) is the owner and operator of the NOGAT pipeline system, transporting gas produced on the Danish, German and Dutch part of the continental shelf to the Dutch market.
Commenting on the award, Hans Janssen, Director at NOGAT, says: ‘This is good news for NOGAT and, more importantly, for the energy transition. By making use of existing infrastructure, we are able to make the transition to green hydrogen in the North Sea more swiftly.’ He also notes that the reuse of an existing pipeline would not only be cheaper but would lower the impact on the environment in the area.
Ron Hagen, Director of NGT, adds: ‘This shows that our NGT pipeline is suitable for the transport of up to 100% pure green hydrogen. This means that our pipeline, which runs from the UK border to Uithuizen, is already ready for the future. Now we are still transporting natural gas, but soon we will be transporting green hydrogen. The capacity of these pipelines, approximately 12–14 GW, will therefore allow us to move faster to large-scale green hydrogen production in the North Sea’.
Meanwhile, Robert de Lange, Operations Director Industry & IVS Benelux of Bureau Veritas, notes: ‘As an independent party, Veritas reviewed a previously conducted study, which was related to the suitability of pipelines as a means of transport of green hydrogen…Our assessment and subsequent certification justify the confidence NGT and NOGAT, as well as the government and other stakeholders, can have that these pipelines fully meet the “fit for purpose” claim’.
In 2018, DNV investigated the robustness of the pipelines’ steel, which showed that the material was suitable and safe for hydrogen transportation. The pipelines are regularly inspected internally and externally to ensure their integrity. A major inspection is conducted every five years. The Certificate of Appropriateness is valid until 2062.
