Blog: Preparing for a net zero future at National Gas

How is this energy giant preparing for a net zero future? And what is going on behind the scenes as gas gradually gives way to lower-carbon alternatives? We’ve discussed it with Corinna Jones, National Gas’ Director of Clean Power and Innovation.

A Three-Molecule Approach

“Methane  will continue probably for quite a while to supply energy to use across the UK,” explains Corinna. “But we’re looking at how we can decarbonise that with biomethane and hydrogen in the short term to reduce the carbon impact of natural gas today.”

To achieve that, National Gas is pioneering an innovative Three-Molecule Approach to gas decarbonisation, involving methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide:

• Methane: natural gas (methane) will likely remain a key energy source for the UK in the near future. National Gas will keep working to ensure its natural gas customers are supported, but at the same time it will explore options to decarbonise its assets through the use of hydrogen and biomethane.
• Hydrogen: hydrogen produced through various methods represents a viable and versatile solution to help decarbonise hard-to-electrify sectors, as well as to make home heating more sustainable. National Gas plans to blend hydrogen into the existing gas network to help reduce its carbon footprint, and to supply 100% hydrogen to industrial and power users.
• Carbon: recognising the environmental impact of natural gas and biomethane, National Gas is introducing carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) to its portfolio of decarbonisation solutions. This technology prevents carbon from being released into the atmosphere, storing it in safe offshore locations instead. The company is also exploring ways to make the most of the stored carbon to produce synthetic fuels for aviation, maritime and other applications.

Decarbonisation milestones: moving at pace

Accelerating the pace of the clean energy transition will be crucial to meet the tight net zero deadlines the UK has committed to. To play its part, National Gas is aligning its activities to national and international decarbonisation milestones, such as Clean Power 2030, achieving the decarbonisation of the UK energy system by 2035, and achieving net zero nationwide by 2050.

Wanting to go the extra mile, the company has set ambitious internal targets, too. These include upgrading infrastructure to accommodate biomethane and hydrogen blending by 2028, completing its SCO2T Connect CCUS project in Scotland by 2033, and finalising Project Union by 2035.

Project Union encompasses the creation of a UK-wide hydrogen backbone, supporting industrial clusters and power generation across the country. The project, which will start in the North of the UK and progress southwards, involves repurposing approximately 1,500 miles of existing pipelines to transport 100% hydrogen, connecting industrial clusters, power stations, and even transport hubs.

To continue supporting its natural gas clients in the interim, National Gas will need to build some new infrastructure to make Project Union a reality. However, the focus is on making the most of existing assets to minimise costs and disruption. The first feed funding request for Project Union has already been submitted, with the project set to provide resilience for hydrogen production, allowing users to not exclusively rely on local and regional producers.

Technologies supporting decarbonisation

National Gas is working hard to gather the evidence needed to ensure it is possible to transition current assets to greener alternatives to natural gas. Given the results of this work, Corinna is optimistic that most of the current infrastructure can and will be repurposed:

“Future Grid Phase 1 is our demonstration facility. We decommissioned assets from across the country that represent an entry point, an exit point, and some of the assets in between. We have run 2%, 5%, 20% and 100% hydrogen through those assets, proving that our assets today can accept hydrogen and operate in the same way that they do with natural gas – actually to the point where we thought we’d have more challenges to solve.”

Despite the positive outcomes of these tests, Corinna warns that National Gas’ infrastructure is heterogeneous and encompasses assets of various ages and materials and from different suppliers – all of which will need to be transitioned. Challenges remain also for the metering and billing infrastructure, which will need to be for hydrogen blends above 20%.

Finally, National Gas will need to decommission some of its most high-value assets, such as compressors. To minimise the £60 million cost of replacing each of its 74 compressors, National Gas is exploring ways to repurpose these valuable assets instead of decommissioning them.

Collaboration and innovation: keywords for a successful transition

To further accelerate its decarbonisation activities and help advance the UK’s net zero agenda, National Gas is actively collaborating with European energy partners to share insights and ensure research is not duplicated.

Another vital part of National Gas’ decarbonisation plans is the digitalisation and classification of data, which will allow the company to keep asset-related information consistent, up-to-date and future-proof. National Gas is also working on finding new ways to easily visualise and communicate this data – for example through digital twinning.

Finally, the company is consistently collaborating with regulatory bodies to share information and help regulators understand what is possible in the long and short terms:

“There’s lots of work to be done to work together and move together as a system as we move towards net zero,” concludes Corinna, stressing that National Gas’s approach throughout the transition will remain collaborative and welcoming to feedback.

Although challenges like regulatory clarity and clearer insights of the long-term cost of hydrogen generation persist, it is clear that National Gas is on the right track to achieve its ambitious goals and bringing us one step closer to decarbonising our energy system.

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