Futureproofing gas detection in a hydrogen future

The GS700 in action.

Leaders in gas detection are poised to embrace the emergent hydrogen industry as the world chases net zero emissions. Heath Pipeline Services is now offering the next generation of leak detection technology from Teledyne GMI as the industry moves into a new phase of energy generation.

Heath Pipeline Services has served oil and gas providers in Australasia for more than 40 years, distributing world-leading brands designed to deliver the best outcome for clients.

Heath is also the exclusive distributor for Teledyne Gas Measurement Instruments (GMI) detectors – the leading brand in Australasia for portable gas detectors. Used by all gas utility companies, government departments, regulators and private sector companies, Teledyne GMI has more than 50 years’ experience supplying gas detectors to operators.

For decades, the Gasurveyor (GS) 500 series, and more recently the 700 series with infrared natural gas detection technology, has been trusted to ensure peak safety outcomes for the production and transportation of methane, propane and a variety of industrial gases.

With a ready-made delivery network, the natural gas industry is at the forefront of the emerging hydrogen economy as existing infrastructure will be essential for safe hydrogen generation and distribution in the staged replacement of natural gas.

Hydrogen generation and distribution has become a leading policy in many governments’ plans to reduce carbon emissions and meet agreed climate targets. The International Energy Agency (IEA) report has provided a forecast of 520 million t of hydrogen required to meet the

The GS700 has been used to support testing on the safe generation, storage and distribution of hydrogen within distribution networks.

‘Net Zero by 2050’ global energy roadmap. There are two leading technologies upscaling to meet the target.

Steam methane reforming is considered ‘blue’ hydrogen because it still generates carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, which must be captured and stored. This method is currently the cheapest, most efficient, and most common, involving the creation of hydrogen through the reaction of natural gas with high temperature steam.

Electrolysis is the generation of ‘green’ hydrogen and is produced when an electric current splits water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules. The electricity used in this process is generated from renewable sources such as solar or wind power, and therefore, the resulting hydrogen is considered renewable as well.

According to the IEA report, the production of 322 million t of green hydrogen in 2050 would require a global electrolyser capacity of 3,585GW, up from about 300MW today. This would mean a compound average annual growth rate (CAAGR) in clean hydrogen production of 66 per cent between now and 2030, and 23 per cent between 2030 and 2050, the report concludes.

Whichever the method of hydrogen generation, there are many new challenges that the traditional gas industry faces in handling this emergent fuel.

The greater flammability of hydrogen compared to methane or natural gas requires that traditional appliances are adapted and explosion risks re-calculated to account for the hydrogen/methane blends that will be the stepping-stones to a 100 per cent carbonfree future.

Teledyne GMI supports developments in the safe generation, distribution and use of hydrogen or hydrogen blends. TGMI has been working diligently to develop leak detection solutions to meet the needs of future hydrogen networks.

Over the past two years, the business has been involved in a number of innovative projects, including Hydeploy, H21 and H100, where the GS700 has been used to support testing on the safe generation, storage and distribution of hydrogen within existing and new distribution networks.

The company is nearing completion of a new

device capable of measuring from 1ppm to 100 per cent volume hydrogen . The multimode instrument will facilitate all field activities including leak locating (ppm range), safe evacuation decision making (LEL range) whilst also supporting purging and commissioning (Volume range). The TGMI team is also working on ensuring GS700 users can upgrade existing units to accommodate the future hydrogen demands of the industry, guaranteeing the reliable measurement of different compositions and blends, thus futureproofing existing 700 series fleets. The GS700 series has now been used across multiple projects as gas companies work to understand hydrogen and its impact on existing policies and procedures around network safety and leak management. With 30 years of shared experience, Heath Pipeline Services and Teledyne GMI have a proven track record of supporting natural gas transmission and distribution operators across Australia and New Zealand. For more information on how Teledyne GMI can support your current and future detection needs, go to www.gasandoil.com.au Australian Pipeliner.pdf 1 1/12/21 2:13 PM

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