This project will assess the development of hydrogen infrastructure in South Wales under the SWIC Deployment Phase 2.
Benefits
All future energy modelling identifies a key role for hydrogen (linked to Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS)) in providing decarbonised energy for heat, transport, industry and power generation. To enable the transition from natural gas to hydrogen, the gas networks will be required to provide the transportation and distribution infrastructure to supply hydrogen to customers in the future low carbon economy. This project helps WWU move towards a decarbonised network.
Learnings
Outcomes
This project has approached the challenge of hydrogen production, transport, distribution, storage and use within the UK’s most dispersed industrial cluster. The most significant challenge of a dispersed (or non-anchored) industrial cluster is having the necessary access to GW-scale geological hydrogen storage to address interseasonal storage and supply resilience. This issue is most present within SWIC as the geology of South Wales isn’t suitable for the deployment of existing geological hydrogen storage technology. This project therefore provides a basis from which to undertake similar assessments of hydrogen infrastructure requirements for non-anchored industrial clusters as they develop with future IDC phases.
In essence, a phased development of hydrogen transport is anticipated to serve local demand, followed by the development of early connections through a new pipeline system from Milford Haven to Port Talbot and thence to Cardiff and Newport - eventually moving onwards to salt cavern storage in England. As production increases along with dedicated National Transmission System (NTS)/LTS transport infrastructure, the potential for blending hydrogen into the WWU-operated Gas Distribution Networks rooted at Dyffryn Clydach, Dowlais and Gilwern is accessed, and over time, as production increases further, these networks convert to 100% hydrogen.
We are aware that WWU has instigated at least two follow-on projects to develop aspects of the work done here. The first is the ITT for development of the proposed hydrogen LTS, and the second is a project to explore the potential for salt cavern storage of hydrogen at sites closer to South Wales than those sites which already exist.
The TRL of the project has moved to TRL 3
Lessons Learnt
The study has developed methods for estimating hydrogen demand, based on gas demand and reported CO2 emissions. These approaches will be applicable to other areas and will be available in the reports.
The key lesson learnt is that the decarbonisation landscape is highly fluid, and therefore that any plans for participating in this sector must be developed with the potential for flexibility to accommodate changes in decarbonisation strategies, and specifically in supply of and demand for hydrogen. Whilst the landscape is fluid, it is also highly sensitive, meaning robust legal agreements would need to be sought in order to exchange the granular supply/demand data necessary to inform investment decisions. These sensitives will be appropriately addressed in upcoming phases of feasibility work where new-build hydrogen infrastructure will be explored in SWIC.
