National Gas has initiated the next phase of its hydrogen programme, enlisting Jacobs and ERM to facilitate pre-Front End Engineering Design (pre-FEED) activities for a hydrogen backbone connecting industrial areas across Britain.
Project Union, led by National Gas, aims to establish a British hydrogen backbone capable of transporting 100% hydrogen, linking hydrogen production and storage with end-users.
By repurposing existing high-pressure gas transmission network infrastructure and constructing new pipelines, Project Union will create a hydrogen network covering up to 2,000 kilometres, equivalent to a quarter of Britain’s current methane transmission network.
Jacobs and ERM will collaborate with National Gas to develop strategic route options, leading to the production of a Strategic Options Report and pre-FEED report for a full hydrogen backbone.
This process includes customer and stakeholder engagement, technical assessments for repurposing transmission pipelines for hydrogen use, environmental and planning consent reviews, constructability assessments to minimise design delays and over-expenditure and hydrogen network flow assurance with enhanced cost estimation of options.
This contract announcement follows the National Infrastructure Commission‘s recently published National Infrastructure Assessment, which recommended a national hydrogen network to decarbonise industrial centres across Britain and enhance energy security.
