EASEE-gas publishes a CBP Hydrogen Quality Specification
In 2019 the EASEE-gas Board agreed to draft a Common Business Practice (CBP) for the harmonisation of the recommended quality specification for hydrogen flowing through dedicated systems, meaning networks that were originally designed and used for natural gas transmission and after a safety and reliability assessment found suited for conveying hydrogen and newly built hydrogen pipeline systems. The CBP is valid for both the entry as well as the exit points of these dedicated systems.
This CBP focusses on ‘industrial grade’ hydrogen because it is expected that in the coming years, the large-scale production of hydrogen, necessary to operate a pipeline system, will partly take place by chemical conversion of hydrocarbons. In contrast to electrolysis, these processes do not deliver inherent fuel cell quality hydrogen. Possibilities for large scale production of hydrogen via electrolysis are not expected before 2030. Another reason to focus on ‘industrial grade’ hydrogen is the observation from market forecasts that the industry will take the lion share of the total hydrogen production. Last but not least, no hands-on experience is available on the possible effects of residues in the pipeline resulting from the previous exposure to natural gas on the hydrogen transmitted through such a pipeline. The risk that small amounts of a particular contaminant result in an off-specification at the exit increases with an increase of the minimum hydrogen purity.
“With the publication of the CBP Hydrogen Quality Specification we made the values available to the market. With this accompanying document we provide the background information on how we came to these values”, stated Peter van Wesenbeeck chair of the Gas Quality Harmonisation Working Group (GQHWG).
About the EASEE-gas CBPs
Common Business Practices (CBPs) are standards, procedures and/or protocols commonly used throughout the gas industry in Europe and which are recommended by EASEE-gas for adoption by all relevant industry players to simplify and streamline business processes across Europe. All CBPs are available for download here.