APA Group is converting a section of a gas transmission pipeline in Western Australia into a hydrogen-only pipeline, paving the way for a renewable gas future.
In a paper presented to the 2021 APGA Virtual Convention, APA Group Manager Project Development and Assurance Craig Clarke and Future Fuels CRC Senior Researcher Guillaume Michal described the preliminary stages of the project which is now under way.
The 43km section of the Parmelia Gas Pipeline proposed for conversion to hydrogen only runs through the Kwinana industrial area, and provides opportunities to connect to the Perth domestic market, transport hubs and proposed future export markets.
Experience overseas had shown that conversion of transmission pipelines was a fraction of the cost of a new build. But hydrogen can make steel pipelines brittle and susceptible to fatigue, Mr Clarke said.
So, the first stage of the three-stage project focussed on testing to ensure that the pipeline was suitable for conversion to the new gas. APA Group is now moving on to phase two which is transformation before commissioning the converted pipeline.
Read the most up to date Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industry news at FuelCellsWorks
