H2 quality requirements

This LAP is concerned with the gas quality issues for hydrogen injection and transport in the low pressure DSO local gas grid, including gas quality monitoring and metering in relation to payment terms and responsibilities for monitoring and metering

Glossary:

Requirements related to the quality of hydrogen (in relation to the composition of the gas(blend) as well as its physical property
Hydrogen quality is a term to describe the gas quality for use in the natural gas grid.

select country:

Is it a barrier?

Yes

Type of Barrier

Operational barriers

Assessment Severity

Assessment

First devices able to measure up to 5 Vol.–% hydrogen are available and currently undergoing national certification processes.

Questions:

Question 1 What is the basis for the billing of Hydrogen and Hydrogen Natural Gas Mixtures? Only the energy flow (kWh) or are other properties involved?

The basic of the billing of hydrogen and hydrogen admixtures is the energy flow (kWh) according to the DVGW Worksheet G 685 Gas billing. From a concentration of 0, 2 Vol.–% hydrogen, the calorific value must be determined with gas quality measuring devices (currently process gas chromatographs) which are calibrated for the measurement of hydrogen in the natural gas. (Technical Guideline of the Physical–Technical Federal Institute G 14 Gas meters.)

Question 2 What are the legal and administrative requirements and responsibilities with regard to real-time Measurement Technologies for the monitoring and billing of Hydrogen Natural-Gas Mixtures? Do they differ from the requirements for natural gas?

The gas billing is based on calibration regulations and recognised rules of technology, in particular the DVGW Worksheet G 685 Gas billing. The performing of gas billing is subject to supervision of the competent Weights and Measures Office (Eichamt).

Question 3 Are there other hydrogen quality related legal and administrative requirements to allow the injection of hydrogen in the grid?

See LAP 7.2.1 All grid users are required to ensure the gas which they feed in is compatible with the grid. The technical requirements for that are always based on the latest version of the German Gas and Water Supply Association(DVGW) Worksheets (DVGW G 260 and G 262)

Question 4 How is the responsibility in your country organized with regard to the measurement and other injection related quality requirements? Is this the responsibility of the producer, the DSO or a third party?

According to §36 Gas Network Access Ordinance the hydrogen supplier has to ensure that the gas at the feed–in point and during the feed–in complies with the requirements of the worksheets G 260 and G 262 of the German Gas and Water Supply Association.

Describe the comparable technology and its relevance with regard to hydrogen

Biogas

National legislation:

Gas Network Access Ordinance (Gasnetzzugangsverordnung – GasNZV
§36 Quality requirements for biogas
The biogas supplier has to ensure that the gas at the feed–in point and during the feed–in complies with the requirements of the worksheets G 260 and G 262 of the German Association of Gas and Water Supply.
DVGW Worksheet G 685 Gas billing DVGW Worksheet G 260 Gas quality DVGW G 262 Use of gas from renewable resource in public gas supply, issued by the German Association for Gas and Water Supply
DVGW G 685 regulates the processes for determining the data for the billing of gas corresponding to the DVGW G 260.

EU Legislation:

Directive 2009/73/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas
Directive 2009/73/EC establishes common rules for the transmission, distribution, supply and storage of natural gas.

Its provisions and obligations apply to Hydrogen Gas by virtue of Article 1 (2), which states that the rules established by this Directive for natural gas, including LNG, shall also apply in a non–discriminatory way to biogas and gas from biomass or other types of gas in so far as such gases can technically and safely be injected into, and transported through, the natural gas system.

Article 25 establishes the “Tasks of the distribution system operator” which include: ensuring the long-term ability of the system to meet reasonable demands for the distribution of gas […];shall provide any other distribution, transmission, LNG, and/or storage system operator with sufficient information […] as well as to ensure that the system operator does not discriminate between system users or classes of system including, including e.g. when setting rules for the charging of system users, etc

Article 32 sets the rules on “Third party access”: access to the transmission and distribution system, and LNG facilities shall be based on published tariffs, applicable to all eligible customers, including supply undertakings, and applied objectively and without discrimination between system users.