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NETWORK / 9 / NOVEMBER 2019 HYDROGEN Decarbonising the UK energy sector Gerard Shore, oil and gas sector director at Costain, looks at how hydrogen can transform the UK's energy market. R educing carbon emissions to the atmosphere is critical to avoid increased global tem- peratures and the consequen- tial e ects of climate change. In June 2019, the UK amended the Climate Change Act 2008 to implement a target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2020. A reduction in carbon produced by electricity generation, achieved by burning less coal and more gas, and an increase in renewables, has already contributed to a 42 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from 1990. But there is a long way to go, given that the UK's target is now achieve a 100 per cent reduction by 2050. But tweaking the existing system will only get us so far. We need new, disrup- tive technologies that will fundamentally change the energy market if we are to make a real impact on climate change. At Costain, we believe one of the most practical options to achieve clean energy growth is hydrogen. Hydrogen production The UK has an extensive gas distribution network. So how can this asset and existing gas reserves – along with relatively low-cost imported gas – be used to decarbonise fuel for heating and power generation? Reforming natural gas to produce hydrogen for electricity generation is signiŽ cantly cheaper than using wind power or nuclear power and could save the UK £160 billion compared to alternatives, according to a 2016 study by consultants KPMG. Hydrogen production, through the high temperature reforming of natural gas with steam, has been practised for almost a century, to provide synthesis gas for the manufacture of chemicals such as methanol and ammonia, and for reŽ nery operations. Over 90 per cent of industrial hydrogen is produced this way. Pure hydrogen burns to produce only water. However, the natural gas reforming process produces carbon dioxide. The e ec- tive capture and disposal (or usage) of this carbon dioxide is key to the potential take- up of hydrogen as a large-scale fuel source. Pure hydrogen can also be produced by electrolysis of water. This also produces pure oxygen which has several important medical and industrial uses. Large-scale electrolysis is much more expensive than natural gas reforming, according to the International Energy Association's Green House Gas R&D programme, but it is rel- evant to smaller applications. Pros and cons The advantages of large-scale production and utilisation of hydrogen, in comparison to other proposed carbon reduction tech- nologies, include the following: • most key technology elements and equip- ment are well understood and established; •leading engineering companies and con- sultants have strengths in gas processing and transportation, design safety capabil- ity, understanding of key legislation and economic modelling capability; •the supply chain and can deliver large- scale technology intensive projects; and • there is an established supply chain for critical equipment. However, ongoing technical concerns with hydrogen include the following: • it is volatile and highly ¤ ammable, and has inherent safety concerns that require management and mitigation, including prediction of dispersion; • pipelines and infrastructure for hydrogen transport are more likely to leak than with natural gas; • the risk of pipeline embrittlement, although the UK low pressure gas distribu- tion system is being upgraded to be 100 per cent polyethylene pipe by 2032; •hydrogen combustion characteristics, such as ¤ ame speed, are di erent to natural gas. The technical and engineering issues asso- ciated with high-pressure hydrogen therefor need detailed evaluation. The way forward At Costain, we are committed to using our engineering expertise to support the UK's clean growth strategy. We believe the north west of England is one of the ideal locations within the UK for the development of a de- carbonised, hydrogen-based energy market. We are working to promote and develop the hydrogen economy in the region, and to- gether with Cadent Gas, Peel Energy, Atkins, BOC and the University of Chester, Costain is a founder member of the North West Hydrogen Alliance (NWHA). The aim of the alliance is to bring together the relevant or- ganisations to make the hydrogen economy in the north west a reality. In November 2018, Costain hosted an Energy Industries Council (EIC) event on decarbonising the UK energy sector, with key expert speakers from government and industry, including Jon Saltmarsh, head of technical energy analysis from BEIS; Sam Evans, head of environment policy from the Greater Manchester Combined Author- ity; and Ben Madden from strategic energy consultancy Element Energy. The event gen- erated great debate on what more needs to be done and how we can all work together to achieve the UK's emissions targets. DECARBONISATION OF HEAT