DNV explores offshore pipeline transport of hydrogen

Shipping classification society DNV will proceed with the second phase of the H2Pipe project, which it launched two years ago to develop a new code for building, re-qualifying and operating offshore hydrogen pipelines.

PHOTO: DNV

Hydrogen has become popular as a clean fuel that could help shipping and other industries replace fossil fuels and cut emissions. With demand for low- and zero-carbon hydrogen expected to rise, DNV has joined other industry players to form guidelines on transportation of hydrogen in offshore pipelines.

The second phase of H2Pipe will kick off in late March and the project partners will run tests to understand how hydrogen becomes brittle and how it affects materials inside a pipeline.

The first phase of the programme looked at degradation of steel pipes.

DNV forecasts that by 2050, about half of the global hydrogen pipeline network will be made up of existing pipelines that will be repurposed to transport hydrogen instead. In some areas, DNV expects this figure to be as high as 80%. DNV’s project will also look at how these conversions should be handled and certified.

“Industry players are exploring ways of transporting hydrogen as an additive or replacement for natural gas, but currently, offshore pipeline codes insufficiently cover the transport of hydrogen or hydrogen blends by offshore pipelines,” DNV said in a statement.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

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