The SGN LTS Futures project focused on the UK’s high-pressure local transmission system (LTS) – an 11,600 km pipeline network that brings gas from the national system to homes, businesses and industries in local communities. It aimed to answer a key question – can the same techniques that are used to maintain and operate natural gas networks today be used on live hydrogen pipelines in the future?

A representative 30 km stretch of the LTS pipeline, which runs between Granton near Edinburgh and Grangemouth, was safely repurposed to carry hydrogen under the trial.

A range of engineering tasks were undertaken, showing they can be performed on high-pressure pipelines transporting hydrogen. These operational tasks included:

• Hot works – welding and drilling into the live pipeline to create a new connection.
• Flow stopping – isolating the flow of hydrogen in the pipe.

These are both key activities for safely operating and maintaining gas pipelines, and it is the first time these techniques have been undertaken in a live trial on a hydrogen pipeline in Great Britain, according to SGN.

The hydrogen for the trial project was sourced from INEOS’s processing plant in Grangemouth.

‘LTS Futures will create a blueprint for repurposing the entire LTS to hydrogen. This could help create regional hydrogen hubs, support industrial clusters and potentially provide a pathway for a wider transition to low-carbon hydrogen. As a critical part of the UK’s gas infrastructure, the successful conversion of the LTS to hydrogen would mean a low-disruption, resilient backbone for our net zero energy system,’ says the company.

Tony Green, SGN Chief Strategy and Regulation Officer, adds: ‘The gas network remains vital, meeting 40% of primary energy demand and powering key industries. We are already on the journey towards decarbonised gas by increasing the amount of green gas, such as biomethane, in the network. Hydrogen presents a further opportunity to deliver low-carbon energy solutions.’

Global hydrogen industry surpasses $110bn in committed investment  

That feasibility study represents a mood of optimism in the sector. Some $110bn in investment has been committed across more than 500 clean hydrogen projects worldwide that are past final investment decision (FID), in construction or already operational, according to the Hydrogen Council’s inaugural Global Hydrogen Compass report, co-authored with McKinsey & Company. The study found $35bn in new projects reached FID in the past year, with pledged investment growing over 50% annually since 2020.

Since 2020, more than 1,700 hydrogen projects have been announced globally, a 7.5-fold increase, while approximately 50 projects have been publicly cancelled in the past 18 months, representing about 3% of the total pipeline; most of them early-stage renewable hydrogen ventures. Structural challenges, including persistently high interest rates and delayed policy implementation in some regions, are adding pressure to this selection process, adds the study.

On the supply side, total committed capacity is estimated to exceed 6mn t/y, including 1mn t/y already in operation. After accounting for delays and expected attrition, the current project pipeline could support up to 9–14mn t/y of clean hydrogen capacity by 2030, according to the report, but requires demand to materialise. On the demand side, about 3.6mn t/y of binding offtake has been secured. As policy clarity emerges in key markets such as the EU, US, Japan and Korea, up to 8mn t/y of clean hydrogen demand could materialise by 2030, suggests the study.

China is reported to be leading the world in total committed investments ($33bn) and renewable hydrogen production (over 50% of global renewable capacity), followed by North America ($23bn), which is also home to 85% of global low-carbon hydrogen production. Europe ranks third in committed investment ($19bn), while accounting for nearly two-thirds of expected 2030 global demand.

Commenting on the report findings, Jaehoon Chang, Vice-Chair of Hyundai Motor Group and Co-Chair of the Hydrogen Council, says: ‘The Global Hydrogen Compass sends a strong message: our industry has entered the next chapter of build-out, moving from ambition to delivery, [with] tangible proof of progress.’

Sanjiv Lamba, CEO of Linde and Co-Chair of the Hydrogen Council, adds: ‘We are now at a pivotal juncture: accelerating market creation and securing binding offtake agreements must become the priority to ensure today’s projects deliver real impact. Achieving this will require stronger collaboration between business and government to build the frameworks and partnerships essential for progress. By aligning our efforts, we can unlock the full potential of hydrogen to meet the challenges ahead.’