SGN has completed a pioneering project in Scotland, demonstrating that the UK’s gas network can be repurposed to transport H₂. Their LTS Futures live trial proved that the same infrastructure which delivers energy to millions of households and businesses today can also play a bigger role in cutting carbon emissions in the future, marking a major milestone in the journey to net zero.

The project focused on the UK’s high-pressure local transmission system (LTS) – an 11,600-km pipeline network that brings gas from the national system to homes, businesses and industries in local communities. It aimed to answer a key question – can the same techniques that are used to maintain and operate natural gas networks today be used on live H₂ pipelines in the future?

In a UK first, a representative 30-km stretch of the LTS pipeline, which runs between Granton near Edinburgh and Grangemouth, was safely repurposed to carry H₂. 

LTS Futures will create a blueprint for repurposing the entire LTS to H₂. This could help create regional H₂ hubs, support industrial clusters and potentially provide a pathway for a wider transition to low-carbon H₂. As a critical part of the UK’s gas infrastructure, the successful conversion of the LTS to H₂ would mean a low-disruption, resilient backbone for our net zero energy system.

The specialist team successfully completed important engineering tasks, proving they can be performed on high-pressure pipelines transporting H₂. These operational tasks included:

• Hot works – welding and drilling into the live pipeline to create a new connection.
• Flow stopping – isolating the flow of H₂ in the pipe.

These are both key activities for safely operating and maintaining gas pipelines, and it is the first time these techniques have been undertaken in a live trial on a H₂ pipeline in Great Britain.

“This landmark project is a major milestone for SGN and the wider energy sector, showing that the UK’s gas infrastructure can be repurposed for a net zero future. It demonstrates both infrastructure and workforce readiness for H₂, with our skilled engineers gaining vital experience through the live trial. Collaboration has been crucial, and working closely with INEOS and other partners has turned a complex concept into a success,” said Tony Green, SGN Chief Strategy and Regulation Officer.

“The gas network remains vital, meeting 40% of primary energy demand and powering key industries. We are already on the journey towards decarbonized gas by increasing the amount of green gas, such as biomethane, in the network. H₂ presents a further opportunity to deliver low-carbon energy solutions, and this project is an important step in demonstrating that the LTS network can support H₂ playing a key role in the UK’s future energy mix.”