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AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE UK GAS reuse, recycle, could stimulate efforts
to commercialise syngas (synthetic gas)
INDUSTRY TO LEAD THE WORLD production. In simple terms, syngas
takes materials that would otherwise
be rejected as waste and uses them
to create gas; one example would be
municipal waste. The low and variable
Kiwa offers unrivalled hydrogen knowledge, expertise, research calorific content of syngas means it is
and testing for this alternative to natural gas. Our experts play a not suitable as a direct fuel source, but it
vital role in investigating the feasibility of converting large parts can, for example, act as an intermediate
of our energy systems to hydrogen in the industrial synthesis of ammonia…
one of the best sources of hydrogen!
What are the lessons of these
I AM A project developed by Cadent, Northern developments for AVK? All change
RELATIVELY Gas Networks and Keele University is brings both opportunity and threat.
recent recruit currently investigating the implications AVK UK is fortunate in being a large
to the gas of injecting 20 per cent hydrogen into cog in AVK’s global operations. We can
distribution the gas supply using the university’s draw on expertise and insights from our
market having private gas network as the proving colleagues across the world. Building
spent over 20 ground. A 20 per cent hydrogen mix on this knowledge base, I believe we
years designing, enables existing boilers, gas cookers and will need to become more agile in terms
developing and other appliances to continue to work of bringing new products to market.
supplying products and systems for with no modifications. Over time, we will also need to take the
technical, medical and other speciality Hydrogen is not without its initiative in developing and recruiting
gas applications. It is my impression challenges. It has a low density, the skills needed to service these new
that, over time, the two worlds of which makes it difficult to store, it market opportunities, which in turn
speciality gases and downstream gas is flammable, and it has a higher are likely to require different materials,
distribution will gradually start to have diffusivity than natural gas. None of manufacturing techniques and customer
more in common. In particular, I believe these are insurmountable. The key service and support. We’re on it.
that the gas distribution market will is being able to reduce the cost of A report recently published by
have to become less conservative, with producing hydrogen at scale to levels The Institution of Engineering and
a small ‘c’, and more dynamic from a where it becomes a cost-effective Technology, Transitioning to hydrogen;
change, with a potentially very large C, alternative to natural gas. Green energy what are the engineering risks and
perspective. sources, including wind and solar, uncertainties?, highlighted that whilst
In recent years, the UK downstream appear to be the ideal complement hydrogen production is a mature
gas industry has been ‘energised’ for electrolysers, one of several technology and the existing gas network
through a combination of factors ways of creating hydrogen. At times, could be repurposed to support a
including sustainability, economics for example when wind farms are hydrogen system, there are currently no
and innovation: as a nation we have producing energy surplus to the grid’s examples of commercialised hydrogen
committed to reducing our greenhouse requirements, the marginal cost of downstream supply networks.
gas emissions; we would like to reduce energy would be approaching zero. Sir William Grove, a polymath whose
our exposure to natural gas and LNG In its Spring Statement 2019 (budget principal occupation was the law, is
imports; efficiencies driven primarily by any other name), the government credited with inventing the fuel cell
by innovation are starting to make committed to increasing the amount in 1839. For me, the growing interest
hydrogen, syngas and biogas more of green gas being injected into the in hydrogen as a fuel source provides
attractive and viable as alternative grid. Biogas, produced from feedstocks the UK with an exciting opportunity to
energy sources. such as municipal waste, sewage and once again lead the world. I suppose it
Britain’s national gas grid is a major food processing waste, would appear all depends on whether your hydrogen
national infrastructure asset. It is to be an ideal candidate for the job. storage tank is half full or half empty!
projected that by the early 2030s the However, the lack of long-term clarity
network will have replaced most of from successive governments on feed- Gareth Toyer
its iron pipelines with polyethylene. in-tariffs has stymied the development Gas Sales Director, AVK UK
If achieved, this would facilitate the of additional capacity other than in the
distribution of hydrogen as a fuel wastewater sector.
source to domestic, commercial and The growing influence of the circular
industrial premises. The HyDeploy economy, and its mantra of reduce,

GARETH T O YER | S ALE S DIRECT OR - GA S | A VK UK LIMITED
C OLLIER Y CL OSE , S43 3FH STA VELEY, UNITED KINGDOM
TEL : +44 1246 479100 • DIRECT: +44 1246 479104 • MOBILE: +44 7936 364662 • E-MAIL : GAT O@ A VK UK . C O . UK

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