HYDROGEN

Achieve H2-Readiness of buried pipelines with EMPIT's CMI method - We are ready when you are!

Transporting gaseous hydrogen via existing pipelines is a low-cost option for delivering large volumes of hydrogen. The high initial capital costs of new pipeline construction constitute a major barrier to expanding hydrogen pipeline delivery infrastructure. For this reason, many operators now want to make their pipelines, which are still used for gas, ready for the transport of hydrogen.

This approach has the potential to save immense costs, but also carries the risk that, for example, due to no up-to-date information about the pipe position or the pipeline depth at every location, accidents can occur which have far more tragic consequences than with the transport of conventional gas. For this reason, two major assessments need to be done before conversion of the pipeline is possible:

• It is mandatory by law to carry out a survey before the conversion of the pipeline, which determines the exact XYZ position and the depth of cover (DOC). Conventional methods, such as pipe locating devices, have too high measurement uncertainties to be used for certification. Therefore, alternatives must be found urgently.

• The law also requires that the integrity of the pipeline must be determined by intelligent pigging. Consequently, if pipelines are not piggable, no conversion to hydrogen can take place at present.

With the development of the Current Magnetometry Inspection (CMI) method, EMPIT has succeeded in providing a solution to both of these problems, which allows the conversion of older gas infrastructure easily and in one inspection run. Thus, CMI is able to determine the pipeline geometry, the XYZ position and the coverage in one run. Also, information about potential pigging obstacles such as tight bends can be recorded in the same run and thus the piggability of the pipeline can be established cost-efficiently. As a consequence, older pipelines can be made H2-ready by CMI.