November 2023 – The European natural gas infrastructure provides the opportunity to accept hydrogen (H2), as a measure to integrate low-carbon gases while leveraging the existing gas network and contributing to decarbonisation. However, there are technical and regulatory gaps that should be closed, adaptations and investments to be made to ensure that multi-gas networks across Europe will be able to operate in a reliable and safe way while providing a highly controllable gas quality and required energy demand. Aspects such as material integrity of pipelines and components, as well as the lack of harmonisation of gas quality requirements at European level must be addressed in order to facilitate the injection of H2 in the natural gas network.
In this context, the SHIMMER project (Safe Hydrogen Injection Modelling and Management for European gas network Resilience) was selected for funding as part of the 2023 Clean Hydrogen Partnership programme. SHIMMER aims to enable a higher integration of low-carbon gases and safer H2 injection management in multi-gas networks by strengthening the knowledge base and improving the understanding of risks and opportunities in H2 projects.
It will do this by:
- Mapping and assessing European gas T&D infrastructure in relation to materials, components, technology, and their readiness for hydrogen blends.
- Defining methods, tools and technologies for multi-gas network management and quality tracking, including simulation, prediction, and safe management of network operation in view of widespread hydrogen injection in a European-wide context.
- Proposing best practice guidelines for handling the safety of hydrogen in the natural gas infrastructure and managing the risks.
The project, coordinated by SINTEF, kicked off this September 2023, in Trondheim, often referred as Norway’s capital of technology. Thirteen partners from seven European countries (SINTEF, BAM, Tecnalia, TNO, INIG, POLITO, ENAGAS, Snam, GASSCO, GAZ-SYSTEM, GERG, REDEXIS, INRETE) will work together on this project for 36 months. The consortium includes research organisations, institutes, gas transmission and distribution companies, and an international association, providing the needed complementarity of skills for a successful completion of the SHIMMER project.
See all the project partners here
About the Clean Hydrogen Partnership.
The Clean Hydrogen Partnership is supporting research and innovation (R&I) activities in hydrogen technologies in Europe. It aims to accelerate the development of advanced clean hydrogen applications ready for market, across end-use sectors such as energy, transport, building and industry, while strengthening the competitiveness of the clean hydrogen value chain. The members of the partnership are the European Commission, fuel cell and hydrogen industries represented by Hydrogen Europe and the research community represented by Hydrogen Europe Research.
