Main Goals
The SHIMMER project aims to enable a higher integration and safer hydrogen injection management in multi-gas networks by contributing to the knowledge and better understanding of hydrogen projects, their risks, and opportunities.
More specifically, the project aims to map and address European gas T&D infrastructure in relation to materials, components, technology, and their readiness for hydrogen blends. It aims to define methods, tools and technologies for multi-gas network management and quality tracking, including simulation, prediction, and safe management of transients, in view of widespread hydrogen injection in a Europe-wide context, as well as to propose the best practice guidelines for handling the safety of hydrogen in the natural gas infrastructure, managing the risks.
The SHIMMER project has been developed as 5 Work Packages (WPs)
work packages
- Project Management and Coordination
WP1 represents a simple, comprehensive but effective technical, financial, and administrative management plan to ensure the project progress, monitor the project activities, the compliance of the objectives and the participants coordination in a timely manner, verifying quality and costs.
- Coordinate and manage the project efficiently
- Communicate within the consortium
- Report to the European Commission
- Ensure data and risk management
Coordinator: SINTEF
- Gas Infrastructure and Operational Conditions
WP2 focuses on collecting information from transmission and distribution system operators in the project on the typical components used in gas grids, developing a prototype for the database tested by the DSOs/TSOs, identifying the scope and limitations of standards for testing and qualification of materials and components for H2 service and reviewing all normative data.
- Identify relevant natural gas infrastructure as case studies together with TSOs and DSOs
- Develop a database for materials and components on the existent infrastructure
- Map the relevant operational conditions for the gas infrastructure
Coordinator: BAM
- Integrity management and safety
WP3 focuses on the identification of critical material properties and component factors, the assessment of the compatibility of the existing NG infrastructure with H2-NG blends, the review of current inspection methods, procedures and protocols for pipeline inspections, and the examination of future needs to enhance safety and/or accuracy in risk assessments.
- To establish the basis for managing integrity and safety on existing networks using blends
- To map blending limits due to material and component integrity, functionality and safety
- To define priorities for modernisation/repurposing, safety requirements, protocols for inspection, risk management
Coordinator: TECNALIA
- Flow assurance
WP4 includes definition of simulated and realistic-scale test cases, the development of a tool to analyse capacity and investments, recommendations of mixing strategies and infrastructure needs, an open-source model to handle multi-component description of both high-pressure transmission networks and highly meshed distribution networks and an overview of available gas quality measurement technologies and evaluation of performance.
- To determine system and engineering constraints that can reduce hydrogen acceptability in the networks
- To study the fluid dynamic impacts on H2 blending
- To map how contractual constraints will affect H2 admissibility
- To establish general guidelines on how gas quality parameters will impact H2 admissibility
- To establish optimal operational strategies and best practice recommendations for handling and control of H2 in the NG infrastructure
Coordinator: TNO
- Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation
WP5 ensures D&C of the project results, including the development and implementation of an exploitation strategy to increase the project’s impact. It also develops clustering activities with key stakeholders across the whole value chain to stablish a solid network as well as include engagement actions with the AB.
- Communicate and disseminate the project results to the key stakeholders and the public
- Lead a stakeholder analysis to map key actors to fine-tune the business model
- Support the exploitation of the project results among the partners, through the definition of marketable results and the setting up of individual exploitation and business plans.
Coordinator: GERG
