Due to its enormous energy density (140 MJ/kg ~ 39 kWh/kg), hydrogen (H2) is an attractive option for energy storage. Compared to fossil fuels such as coal, oil, wood or natural gas, the combustion of H2 does not produce carbon dioxide. Hydrogen will be an important building block in the transformation of our energy system from fossil fuels to renewable energies –
AGRU is part of the solution!
The majority of AGRULINE products are already “H2ready” – tested and thus suitable for the transport of hydrogen.
That PE pipes are suitable for hydrogen transport has already been proven by the renowned Dutch accreditation institute Kiwa [1]. With the “H2ready” test [2] now introduced by the Gas Technology Institute DBI, a 100% subsidiary of the DVGW, another important step has been taken to confirm the suitability of products for the use, storage and transport of hydrogen or hydrogen-natural gas mixtures.
AGRULINE PE 100-RC – The No. 1 solution for hydrogen
The majority of AGRULINE products are already “H2ready” and thus demonstrably suitable for the transport of hydrogen. AGRULINE products have been ensuring the clean, safe and reliable transport of gas and water for decades. It is therefore obvious to use this proven system for the transport of hydrogen as well. Plastic pipes made of PE 100-RC have decisive advantages over alternative piping systems (steel, cast iron, multi-layer systems, other types of plastic) for this application: they are lightweight, cost-effective, low-maintenance, easy to install, reliable and weldable homogenously and longitudinally force-locked. In addition, they are not prone to hydrogen embrittlement and corrosion or other chemical reactions with hydrogen, as is the case in metal pipelines.
Successful use of H2 as an energy carrier stands and falls with the development of efficient, sustainable production of so-called “green hydrogen” through the electrolysis of water using renewable energies, as well as storage and conversion into other forms of energy with as little loss as possible. Safe and efficient transport from the producer to consumer will play a key role here, as it already has with natural gas.
Future applications of H2 include e.g. fuel/energy storage in heavy transport (trucks, cargo ships, aircraft), coal substitution in steel production and as a raw material in the chemical industry. H2 is also considered as an “enabler” for the large-scale use of renewable energies for power supply. In order to be able to guarantee a stable, trouble-free electrical grid, electricity must be generated, distributed and consumed simultaneously to a large extent. However, electricity generated from photovoltaics or wind power is subject to strong temporal fluctuations, since the supply of sun/wind usually differs from the actual demand at the same time.To compensate for the fluctuations, reliable and loss-free storage options with sufficient capacity – such as H2 – will be needed in future.
Similar to natural gas today, high-quality plastic solutions connect the producers with the end consumers via regional and supra-regional pipeline networks. AGRULINE pipeline components made of PE 100-RC already allow H2 to be added to natural gas.
“AGRULINE PE 100-RC products are therefore our clear recommendation for the efficient and safe transport of hydrogen,” explains Kurt Berger, the application engineer responsible for PE 100-RC pipe systems.
AGRULINE – an investment for a successful energy transition!
In order to be best prepared for future standards, technical challenges and framework conditions, AGRU is taking the following strategic steps:
- Active participation and involvement in standardisation committees of the CEN (EN) and the ÖVGW.
- The implementation and support of cooperative R&D projects (e.g. Öhringen Hydrogen Island [3] and project “H2toPipe”, FFG Energy Research 8th call) with partners from industry and university. The aim is to carry out further tests (long-term load tests, fracture mechanical tests, leak tightness, permeation) to confirm the suitability for practical use and to further optimise AGRULINE products for the transport of hydrogen.
