Abstract
Energy transition requires the buildup of new infrastructure to produce, store, transport, transform (to e-fuels, eNH3 etc.) and utilize hydrogen through its entire value chain. The cost challenges for building new infrastructure are significant and must be built into the overall economics of the viability of hydrogen and energy transition. Alongside developing robust technology, significant work has also been done towards optimizing the new infrastructure to address cost challenges and make it at parity with existing energy solutions. However, considering the significant capital cost involved in building new infrastructure, the proposition to reusing, or repurposing existing assets to transport and store hydrogen is becoming increasingly attractive.
This paper addresses the viability of reuse and repurpose of existing infrastructure like natural gas pipelines to transport hydrogen (pure or co-transport). This paper articulates the drivers behind repurposing infrastructure like pipelines and what it would take to convert its service from natural gas to hydrogen in a safe and economically viable manner. This will include identifying the opportunities (technical, economic, and societal) and more importantly the challenges; and how best the challenges can be addressed within the prevailing economic and regulatory environments. Although much has been written about repurposing infrastructure, a concise guideline on the steps to take to repurpose is absent, since there is no straightforward answer. Repurposing must take into consideration the process, technical, human safety factors, assess the technical suitability of the asset for managing hydrogen and includes business analysis, infrastructure technical viability followed by rigorous analysis and testing. This paper attempts to develop a road map that would enable a business / operator with a protocol they can utilize to make decisions on repurposing.
