APGA’s 2022 Building Hydrogen Infrastructure Symposium has set the tone for Australia’s renewable energy future, demonstrating that the pipeline and infrastructure industries are ready to take on the infrastructure challenges to come.
Hydrogen is seen as a key renewable energy pathway in Australia and around the globe, and hydrogen infrastructure is known to be the lowest cost option for terrestrial energy transport and storage. As hydrogen producers gear up to take up this opportunity, the pipeline industry is in prime position to build new infrastructure today.
The Building Hydrogen Infrastructure Symposium saw experts, both local and international, on the development of new hydrogen infrastructure share their wealth of knowledge and answer key questions posed about hydrogen infrastructure development.
APGA’s National Policy Manager, Jordan McCollum, said that the event was a great success.
“It was wonderful to see people engaged with what we were there to speak about; a lot of people seemed to like that it was focused on tangible current and future projects,” he said.
“The Building Hydrogen Infrastructure Symposium wasn’t interested in talking about the “what if’s” – it was a lot more concerned with what’s going to impact the future of our industry.”
The experts set out to answer burning questions including why Australia should choose hydrogen and hydrogen infrastructure as it draws ever closer to its renewable energy future.
“It was great to have the people in the room who are active within the industry who are the ones developing and designing new infrastructure, or actively seeking hydrogen-ready line pipe or actively delivering hydrogen compressors worldwide,” said McCollum.
“They’re the people who have their boots on the ground and are focused on moving the industry toward the deployment of hydrogen infrastructure.”
Chief Executive Officer of APGA Steve Davies, set the tone for the day to come through his welcome and introduction. After this McCollum, in his own speech, touched on the economics of a renewable gas transition.
“Through my talk, I tried to dispel the prevailing myth that the only way to decarbonise gas use in the home is through electrification. I spoke on an analysis which indicated that it is possible that renewable gas and renewable electricity will be cost competitive for gaseous decarbonisation,” he said.
“By having access to renewable gases, it increases customer choice, opportunity and capacity for the way they decarbonise.”
McCollum’s talk was followed by some morning tea, after which engineers Marzieh Amanabadi and Josh Wickham compared hydrogen infrastructure and natural gas infrastructure. Scott Sharbanee and Craig Clarke spoke on new hydrogen facilities and the advantages of new and repurposed hydrogen infrastructure respectively before the symposium adjourned to lunch.
The early afternoon sessions focused on key componentry which some had questioned could make hydrogen infrastructure impossible to build. Many have wondered whether it is possible to build hydrogen pipelines out of carbon steel, whether it is possible to produce pipeline scale centrifugal compressors and turbines for 100 per cent hydrogen service, or whether meters or valves could be developed for this purpose
LFF’s Cameron Dinnis, Baker Hughes’ Serena Gabriele and PAC’s Peter Andrews firmly put all concerns to bed, explaining in detail how each component is hydrogen ready today.
The final session touched on repurposing existing gas infrastructure for hydrogen and saw Klaas van Alphen detail the possibility of repurposing the Parmelia Pipeline for hydrogen energy and the potential implications it brings for the Victorian Transmission System. Shahab Mian followed Alphen’s fascinating talk, which was followed up by Robert Davis and Margaret Gayen detailing how they had ‘done the work’ in determining what needed to be done to transition an actual gas distribution network to hydrogen service.
“The symposium really aimed to demonstrate and highlight the fact that the infrastructure industry is ready to establish and build new infrastructure for hydrogen, as well as being well on the way to also repurposing gas infrastructure,” said McCollum.
After attendees had absorbed the expertise shared with them, they were encouraged to partake in a networking event, providing the opportunity to meet, and become acquainted with the hydrogen infrastructure experts of the day. Networking also gave attendees the chance to discuss all that unfolded throughout the day and talk further about the pipeline industry’s place in an ever-evolving hydrogen infrastructure landscape.
“Through this symposium, we’ve been able to demonstrate that people are ready; the industry is ready to start building hydrogen infrastructure today. There are experts out there who have the skills to execute these projects and companies out there who are ready to provide the products and services needed,” said McCollum.
Not only is the infrastructure industry ready and waiting to help establish Australia as a renewable hydrogen powerhouse, but the pipeline industry specifically is gearing up to take on the challenge.
“There is strong evidence to support that energy transport and storage via pipelines, even via hydrogen pipelines, is substantially cheaper than power lines and equivalent electrical power storage options,” he said. “This helps the economics of the entire renewable gas supply chain.”
Going forward, it’s clear from the Building Hydrogen Infrastructure Symposium that the pipeline infrastructure industry will have a secure place in Australia’s hydrogen journey.
For more information visit APGA.
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