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and economically viable, H21 is now on CURRENT PROGRESS
the cusp of delivering critical evidence H21 NIC - REVIEWING ALL DISTRIBUTION WORK
evaluating the risks of a hydrogen PROCEDURES FOR PHASE 2
network compared to those of a natural Through an appraisal of network
gas network. components, procedures, network
A collaborative partnership between modelling and testing, H21 Phase
NGN, Cadent, SGN and Wales & West 2a is now demonstrating how gas
Utilities along with the Health and Safety distribution network companies would
Executive Science Division (HSE-SD) manage the network and the conversion
and DNV GL, the Phase 1 research is to 100 per cent hydrogen process safely.
backed by £9 million of Ofgem Network NGN has more than 650 individual
Innovation Competition (NIC) funding, operational practices documented in
with two major testing programmes its procedural library. Of these around
carried out at the HSE-SD in Buxton, and half were found to have the potential to
at DNV-GL’s Spadeadam base in Cumbria. be impacted by a switch from natural
These focused on testing a huge gas to hydrogen. The HSE-SD is now
range of distribution network assets, reviewing and assessing impacted
including the consequences of leakage procedures to understand which may
under hydrogen conditions, plus need further investigation to ensure
testing at Spadeadam to inform the a hydrogen network is as safe and
Quantitative Risk Assessment, with a reliable as today’s gas network.
full report expected in the new year. DNV GL’s test and research facility
National Grid Gas Transmission at RAF Spadeadam, in Cumbria, is the
joined as project partners for H21 NIC location for a hydrogen micro-grid which
Phase 2, which was awarded a further is being purpose-built to represent a
£6.8 million funding in 2019. typical UK distribution network.
The H21 Phase 2 project will The H21 project team will take
H21 – THE SAFETY EVIDENCE examine existing network operations the HSE-SD’s findings and use
Led by Northern Gas Networks (NGN), and procedures, to understand any the microgrid to review, test and
H21 is a suite of pioneering gas adaptations which may need to be made make recommendations to amend
industry projects, aimed at proving under 100 per cent hydrogen conditions. the operational and maintenance
that the existing UK gas network can In another strand of the H21 NIC procedures required to operate a
be converted to transport 100 per work, Leeds Beckett University carried network on 100 per cent hydrogen.
cent hydrogen, in order to support UK out social sciences research to explore It is critical that the likelihood
Climate Change Act obligations. perceptions of a hydrogen gas network. and consequences of gas leakage
From blueprints setting out the Delivered via a national survey and and the way hydrogen behaves in
infrastructure requirements for hydrogen several customer focus groups, the the current gas network (and when it
production, storage and CCUS (H21 North research is the first real insight into how escapes) are understood so the gas can
of England), to demonstrating the critical gas customers feel about the prospect of be safely handled.
safety evidence needed for policy (H21 using hydrogen in their homes. Russ Oxley, Northern Gas Networks’
NIC), the H21 programme is building The findings showed the UK H21 Project Manager, said: “Only by
understanding about the network public is receptive to the concept meticulously deep diving into every
technology needed to ensure clean energy of a hydrogen-fuelled network and procedure and understanding the
for customers, delivered as safely and that safety was not a major concern. tiniest minutiae of detail can we aspire
reliably as the natural gas of today. Customers were interested in the to learn the impact of hydrogen.
In the four years since the H21 Leeds environmental impact of the gas they “We are creating a whole new area of
City Gate study proved that hydrogen use today, but cautious of the costs expertise and this will have an impact on
conversion was technically possible associated with replacing appliances. our supply chain. Some equipment may

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