Noordgastransport (NGT) and Northern Offshore Gas Transport (NOGAT) are the first pipeline owners to receive the Certificate of Fitness for the transport of green hydrogen through their existing pipelines in the North Sea, according to a press release.
The certificate was issued by Bureau Veritas Inspection & Certification. NGT’s 12-to-14 MW pipeline currently carries natural gas from the UK border to Uithuizen, but is now certified to carry up to 100% hydrogen.
“By making use of existing infrastructure, we are able to make the transition to green hydrogen in the North Sea more swiftly,” Hans Janssen, director at NOGAT, said in the release. “This can be pure hydrogen, but also a temporary mix of natural gas and green hydrogen.”
In 2018 DNV investigated the robustness of the pipelines’ steel, which showed that the steel is suitable and safe for hydrogen transportation. The pipelines are regularly inspected internally and externally to ensure their integrity. A major inspection is conducted every five years. The pipelines are supervised by the State Supervision of Mines. The Certificate of Appropriateness is valid until 2062.
