Pipelines manufactured and delivered for Hydrogen Network Rotterdam
When you are working on the energy transition, you should do that work as sustainably as possible. That was the philosophy of Hynetwork Services technical project manager Ronald Pieters when he started purchasing the pipes for Hydrogen Network Rotterdam. A year ago, the procurement process was started ‘because the pipes can’t be bought off the shelf’, Ronald recalls. Now they are ready for the next step in realising Hydrogen Network Rotterdam: construction. We spoke to Ronald about the purchase and delivery of the hydrogen pipes.
‘A year ago, we started procuring over 30 kilometres of pipe material and valves for the Rotterdam hydrogen pipeline. The pipes are not readily available and steel prices are unpredictable, so procurement this far in advance ensures peace of mind in the project’, Ronald explains. Hynetwork Services procured the pipes in line with our framework contracts. ‘The existing framework contracts in themselves are not super sustainable’, Ronald asserts. ‘But they do offer room for more ambitions. In response, the German parties in the framework contracts put forward proposals for the most sustainable steel production possible. And we also required that the pipes be transported as sustainably as possible. That is why the manufacturer, Mannesmann, put forward the proposal to transport the pipes to the Netherlands by train. We knew that Deutsche Bahn runs on renewable electricity within Germany. And it was not more expensive than other options.’
Thus, the decision to transport the pipes by train from Salzgitter, Germany, to Moerdijk proved obvious. As a result, both the production and transport of the hydrogen pipes were achieved in as environmentally friendly a way as possible. ‘This approach provides an initial more sustainable blueprint for the further realisation of the hydrogen network.’
Safety is a constant priority
Manufacturer Mannesmann has a rich history when it comes to the production of natural gas pipes. And Gasunie, the parent company of Hynetwork Services, has experience with building natural gas infrastructure. But now we are dealing with transporting a more volatile gas: hydrogen. What other requirements does hydrogen place on pipes?
‘The empty pipe is the same’, says Ronald. ‘The difference is in the connections and the moving parts. These have to be more leak-tight to prevent hydrogen leakage.’ The pipes were tested at the manufacturer and inspected on site. Such pipes are subject to strict rules to ensure safety. ‘When the pipes are about to be in use, they will be continuously monitored with various safety processes and inspections’, Ronald explains.
The next step is to lay the hydrogen pipeline in the Port of Rotterdam. That is due to start in mid-2023 and the permitting process is now underway. Ronald emphasises that they remain alert to a high level of quality throughout the project: ‘Carrying out a project like this is largely “business as usual” for us, but we’re also aware that not everything is exactly the same as a natural gas project.’
The pipes are there. ‘Now’, Ronald cheerfully concludes, ‘we just need to secure a contractor.’
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