Thought leaders from our Innovation and Energy Futures teams are speaking at this week’s Energy Network Innovation Conference (ENIC) 2021 to showcase the critical projects which are key to revolutionising and decarbonising the UK’s gas networks.
Now in its eleventh year, ENIC brings together learning from over 60 UK innovation projects. It’s managed by Energy Networks Association and offers a single platform where delegates can access the largest regulator-funded energy innovation projects in the country. For the second year running the conference, which takes place from Tuesday 12 October to Friday 15 October, is virtual.
ENIC allows us to engage with our stakeholders through our portfolio of exciting new projects sharing our learnings and creating opportunities for collaboration.
Our CEO John Morea will take part in a CEO panel at the end of the week answering the question ‘What does COP26 mean for the future of the energy networks?’ Leading up to that however, our project leads and project officers will take centre stage. We caught up with them to find out about what they’re working on.
Presenters at ENIC 2021: Lorna Archer, Alastair Scott, Mark Skerritt, Ollie Machan, Courtney West and Nancy Thomson
Lorna Archer – H100 Fife
“The H100 Fife project is an exciting milestone in the gas industry for delivering the requirements of the ‘Hydrogen Neighbourhood’ as set out in the Prime Minister’s 10-Point Plan. With up to 300 customers being supplied with 100% hydrogen for heat in 2023, the H100 Fife demonstration could be pivotal in informing our future of heat.
“This presentation will cover the end-to-end hydrogen system proposed and will provide an update on some of the key project activities underway in preparation for construction in 2022 as well as the opportunities beyond the initial trial."
H100 Fife – How hydrogen will be safely produced, stored and transported
Alastair Scott – Southampton Water Feasibility Study
"Stimulating the system transformation of our networks to 100% hydrogen by decarbonising our industrial clusters is a critical element of our journey to net zero. The Southampton Water Feasibility Study, jointly funded by SGN and Macquarie's Green Investment Group (GIG), has created a vision and roadmap to net zero which includes the industrial and commercial energy demands of the Solent cluster, and the demands of the 800,000 domestic connections in this part of our network. This project aims to kick start the hydrogen economy in our southern networks and realise a deliverable and practical pathway to net zero."
Mark Skerritt/Tom Jefferies (Utonomy) – Pressure Control and Management
“Modernising how we control gas pressure will help lead to a smarter, digitalised network which gives us better visibility of data and more control over how we can use that data.
“The PC&M Electronic Actuator system allows us to adjust gas network pressure remotely and will become increasingly important as we continue to transition to a low carbon future.
“We’re in the process of capturing what we’ve learned whilst evaluating and ultimately proving this concept under our NIA project, so it can be shared with other gas distribution networks and industry professionals. The next steps will be to consider how this may be rolled out in our network and to better understand how this newly proven technology could also help us to blend low/no carbon gasses like biomethane and hydrogen."
Ollie Machan – Robotic Roadworks and Excavation System (RRES)
“RRES automates the excavation process in both rural and urban environments by combining cutting-edge robotics, advanced custom tooling and artificial intelligence. As RRES uses soft-touch excavation technology, the project aims to open the market for expanding future inspection, maintenance, and repair operations. Following successful trials, we’ll look at how the system performed and what this means for utility owners.”
The Robotic Roadworks and Excavation System
Courtney West – Hydrogen Storage Mediums
“The hydrogen economy will play a critical role in decarbonising a variety of sectors to support the UK’s future net zero energy system. A fundamental requirement for transitioning to hydrogen is to ensure network resilience and security of supply for customers.
“Long-term and large-scale hydrogen storage mediums will be key to achieving this because they have the advantage of allowing us to capture energy from renewable sources at all times. There are a range of potential options for hydrogen storage from geological storage to organic hydrogen carriers.”
Nancy Thomson – LTS Futures
"The LTS Futures Project forms part of the UK’s national hydrogen research programme to deliver a net zero decarbonisation solution for customers. The project seeks to research, develop, test and evidence the compatibility of the Local Transmission System Assets (LTS) assets, pipelines, associated plant and ancillary fittings, culminating in a ‘first of a kind’ repurposing trial and demonstration."
The LTS Futures project is examining the safety, security, financial, and storage considerations of incorporating existing gas infrastructure in our future net zero energy system.
Director of Energy Futures Angus McIntosh who’ll be taking part in the ‘Vision of the infrastructure for net zero’ panel on Wednesday said: “We’re proud to showcase the great work being undertaken by our Energy Futures and Innovation teams. These fascinating projects will shape the future of energy and have a crucial impact on our journey to net zero and beyond."
