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NETWORK / 19 /JULY/AUGUST 2016 At a distributed level, such sophistication and detailed levels of data are not required, so SGN is using sensors that capture data almost instantaneously, and infer gas quality based on changes in relative density. A cloud-based computing system is capturing and managing data from the network. Engineers typically use computer 'snapshots' of worst-case scenario demand on the gas network in evenings and the winter to ensure it can deal with all conditions, Webb explains. The sensors that will be used in the Real-Time Networks not only include novel technologies but will also trial novel applications of established technologies. These innovative sensing technologies will be used to establish if a wider range of gases can also be managed by gas network operators. Building on strong foundations SGN's previous NIC project, which took place in Oban, Scotland – Opening up the Gas Market – was developed to demonstrate that gas of different compositions can be used safely in Britain without as much processing prior to injection into the gas distribution network. This is helping to develop the gas grid of the future, as dependence on natural gas produced in the North Sea diminishes. The remote town of Oban is not only a picturesque tourist destination, but also has a demographic profile and mix of business and residential property types that closely mirrors the UK as a whole, GSN says. The trial in Oban therefore reflects how gas might perform nationally. It is also one of several networks in Scotland that rely on regular shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to power the homes of residents, which makes it easier to see how gas will perform when tested in a closed system. According to government data, UK Continental Shelf production of natural gas declined by an average rate of 8 per cent a year from 2000-2013. In addition, there are demographic factors that are affecting gas usage. For example, Webb explains, the British population is ageing. In addition, more people than ever are working from home, affecting gas consumption times and rates. Furthermore, modern housing stock retains heat better. The use of more efficient combi-boilers in the majority of new boiler installations has also placed different demands on the gas grid. All these changes mean it is necessary to analyse demands on the system again, SGN says. Despite this, little has changed in the way the gas network is typically managed. G a s p r o c e s s i n G It's time to refresh gas processing standards in the UK. The alternative gas compositions used by SGN in its Oban project are used widely in Europe, but in the UK expensive processing is usually required before they can be introduced to the network. This is because UK standards for gas quality are based on the use of North Sea gas, which historically was the dominant source in the UK. Today, the UK is a net importer, with extra supplies arriving from Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway, as well as substantial stocks of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Oban provided the perfect location for challenging this norm and making a case for new UK standards that allow the wider use of alternative gas compositions. In Oban, vehicles transport LNG to the mains network rather than a connected mains network; this made it easier for SGN to alter the town's supply and understand the performance of new compositions in isolation. Introducing more varied compositions into the UK network is not without costs, but these are low compared with the current approach of processing all compositions for North Sea standards. Engineers in Oban liken this process to "putting Coke in a single malt whisky". "You start off with a good product and essentially water it down," explains Jamie McAinsh, project manager, Opening up the Gas Market. Widening the gas supply chain and making it easier to introduce new gas compositions could bring price benefits for customers – as well as helping the UK to advance its decarbonisation agenda. In its Future Energy Scenarios report for 2016, National Grid raised concerns about the rate of progress towards these targets. With the scope for continued decarbonisation of the power system declining in future, National Grid called for greater focus on the energy vectors of heat and transport. While there is a role to be played by heat pumps, district heating, geothermal and other technologies, decarbonising the gas grid must be a critical element in national decarbonisation efforts. SGN chief executive John Morea recently spoke about this imperative at the Utility Week Energy Summit in London. He linked SGN's Opening up the Gas Market and Real-Time Networks project directly to the UK's energy security outlook – a concern that energy minister Andrea Leadsom addressed at the event. She said it was "non-negotiable" and government's top priority.