How Do Hydrogen Pipelines Work?

How Do Hydrogen Pipelines Work?

In the coming years, hydrogen power will be critical to energy efficiency and environmental preservation around the world. Yet the lack of infrastructure such as hydrogen pipelines has been an ongoing challenge to wide-scale adoption.

Thankfully, signs are pointing toward greater access to H2 logistics moving forward. And companies that want to start taking advantage of hydrogen power sooner rather than later need to understand the role pipelines play in renewable energy resilience.

Below, we’ll explain what hydrogen pipelines are, how they work, the state they’re in right now in the U.S., and what the future holds.

Hydrogen Pipelines and Infrastructure, Explained

Hydrogen pipelines are one of three major avenues through which hydrogen fuel gets delivered to fueling stations and other distribution centers. Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), hydrogen-powered semi trucks, and other machines that run on hydrogen power fill up at pumps very similar to the ones used for gasoline or natural gas. But first, the hydrogen has to arrive at the station, either delivered through a pipeline or above-ground transportation.

A report on hydrogen infrastructure from the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) notes that pipelines are the most cost-effective means of transporting hydrogen over long distances. This is mostly because of the mechanism at play; gas delivered via pipeline is in a relatively normal-pressure gaseous form. However, above-ground transport requires extremely high pressure for gas in tube trailers or extremely cold temperatures for liquid H2 in tankers.

How Hydrogen Pipeline Infrastructure Functions

The three main processes central to hydrogen pipeline logistics are compression, transportation, and storage. Before it’s transported and/or stored, gaseous hydrogen needs to be kept at 5,000 to 10,000 psi. And, although pipeline transportation is always in gas form, it may feed into liquid storage, which in turn requires transfer to and maintenance of temperatures below -252.8°C.

In practice, this all starts with hydrogen production. Hydrogen is generated via thermochemical methods (steam methane reforming or coal gasification), electrolytics, solar energy, or other biological processes. Then, it’s transported and distributed, which requires further attention to detail since on-vehicle storage can differ significantly from storage conditions in fueling stations.

While storage and distribution considerations are not part of the pipelines’ actual functionality, they complicate the supply chain, which can ultimately dissuade would-be hydrogen adopters.

Just as there are benefits and challenges of hydrogen fuel, there are also pitfalls of pipeline transportation. Per the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE), hydrogen pipelines are subject to embrittlement, permeation, and high costs.

Current Hydrogen Pipeline Infrastructure in the U.S.

Much of the existing hydrogen pipeline infrastructure in the U.S. is clustered in and around hydrogen hubs. These are networks that streamline production, storage, transportation, and utilization. Per the EERE, there are approximately 1600 miles of hydrogen pipelines operational in the U.S. at present, and most are clustered in areas with high usage rates, like the Gulf Coast.

Because pipelines tend to be clustered around hydrogen hubs, existing infrastructure such as hydrogen fueling stations are a proxy for current pipeline locations as well as potential locations. The Alternative Fuels Data Center’s (AFDC) map of hydrogen fueling locations illustrates the density of hydrogen fuel stations around Los Angeles and San Francisco, which suggests that much of the existing pipeline infrastructure exists in these areas. However, the presence of stations at and around the U.S.-Canada border also showcases the potential for pipelines across the northern U.S. and potentially into British Columbia, Quebec, or Ontario.

The Future of Hydrogen Pipeline Infrastructure in the U.S.

Government initiatives across the DOE and other agencies all point to improved hydrogen pipeline infrastructure in the future. At the broadest level, policies like H2USA are promoting public-private partnerships between automakers and federal agencies, generating demand for FCEVs and more. On a more granular level, the recent approval of a new hydrogen hub in California will bring in both federal funding and private investments totaling over $12B.

And, as noted above, fueling station clusters are arguably an even better proxy for where pipelines should be than where they are already. To that effect, the vast majority of hydrogen fueling stations (62 of 74) are in California, but Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and other states also have stations in place. This is one reason hydrogen projects in the Midwest and Northeast are some of the biggest recipients of recent federal funding, totalling over $62M.

Challenges to Hydrogen Pipeline Expansion

As noted above, there are concerns about actual pipeline functionality as it relates to embrittlement and permeation. There are also industrial-level concerns about high costs, lacking infrastructure, regulatory constraints, and the need for further technological innovation.

Solutions already exist or are being developed for all of these challenges. With respect to the technical issues of the pipes themselves, EERE recommends the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) in pipeline production. FRP is both more durable and more cost-effective than options like steel because it can be acquired in larger individual pieces. Reducing welding both reduces labor and materials costs while also increasing structural integrity and assurance against breakages.

In addition, these challenges are outweighed by the benefits of hydrogen power, including but not limited to reduced carbon emissions and greater energy efficiency across all use cases.

Realizing the Potential of Hydrogen Power

Hydrogen pipelines are a critical part of hydrogen infrastructure, which up until recently has been lacking across the U.S. Looking ahead, there will likely be many more hydrogen pipelines produced, along with greater overall infrastructure.

The effects of bigger, better, and more widely accessible hydrogen pipelines will be felt across the economy, as more people are able to operate efficiently and contribute to conservation.

These are realities FASTECH has been supporting for over 25 years. As a leader in hydrogen infrastructure design and construction, we help businesses prepare for hydrogen adoption.

To learn more about how we can help your organization, get in touch today.