APGA was motivated to produce the report due the crucial role the cost and reliability of energy transport and storage infrastructure plays within the energy industry.
The GPA analysis found that pipelines have been a lower cost form of energy transport when compared to powerlines. Additionally, the track record for pipeline infrastructure indicates that is more reliable and environmentally friendly than traditional electricity infrastructure.
As Australia’s transition to net-zero energy ramps up, a comprehensive understanding of the whole energy system including energy transport and storage, is crucial to ensuring least cost decarbonisation outcomes.
Through the analysis, GPA identified that energy transport via hydrogen pipeline costs up to four times less than via pipelines. Furthermore, energy storage in hydrogen pipeline cost up to 37 times less than battery storage systems (BESS) and up to 10 times less than pumped hydro energy storage (PHES).
However, the cost improvements aren’t the only advantages of hydrogen pipelines. In fact, hydrogen production can be collocated with the energy producer enabling access to lower cost energy to power electrolysis.
Additionally, this allows for energy consumed by electrolysis to be consumed prior to energy transport and storage, thus reducing the cost of hydrogen to customers by an estimated 30 per cent.
APGA acknowledges that different renewable gases are produced at different pressures and subsequently require different compression solutions. Moreover, different compression solutions can increase hydrogen production costs by varying amounts which are relative to the production process.
However, the gas infrastructure solution outlined in the report delivers hydrogen at 20 per cent lower cost than the electricity infrastructure solution.
The opportunity for pipeline infrastructure, particularly hydrogen infrastructure, to provide lower cost energy transport solutions could play a significant role in Australia’s net-zero energy future.
To read the full GPA and APGA report, click here.
For more information on APGA and the upcoming 2022 Annual Convention, click here.