H2scan announced that Carbon-Zero UK (a division of Data Engineering Projects Limited) completed a carbon assessment verifying the impact of H2scan online hydrogen monitors in extending the life of transmission and distribution transformers. 

The report explored the carbon emissions associated with transformer manufacture, transport, installation and disposal, and verified the importance of early failure detection made possible by H2scan online hydrogen monitors.

According to the report, global estimates show that electrical utilities have an installed base of nearly 12 MM three-phase transformers with more than 300,000 new transformers installed per year. The report also found that based on an average transformer failure rate of up to 2.9%, global transformer replacements could cost $430 B, with 85 MMt of associated carbon emissions per year, globally as a result of disposal and replacement.

As transformers begin to age and components degrade, temperatures rise in the insulating oil and hydrogen gas precipitates from that oil. This is an early indication of transformer issues. While hydrogen levels are often manually monitored on a set schedule, key hydrogen indicators can be missed between manual samples.

H2scan provide real-time monitoring of hydrogen levels and enabling utilities to intervene and avoid costly disruptions or total failure.

"Transformer failures not only cause disruption of service, they are also costly. In addition, the replacement of transformers results in large carbon emission from the materials and components involved in manufacturing and installing new transformers,” said Leon White, VP Transformer Sales & Business Development at H2scan. "H2scan online hydrogen monitors provide utilities with a low-cost solution to provide early fault detection, avoiding the significant costs of replacement, business interruption or property damage as a result of failure."