Delgaz Grid has completed the 30HyGrid pilot project, a first-of-its-kind initiative for Romania, which demonstrates that existing installations and appliances can operate safely with mixtures of natural gas and 30 vol.% hydrogen, without the need for technical modifications. The project continues the tests carried out within the 20HyGrid (the first pilot project of this type, in which a mixture of natural gas and 20 vol.% hydrogen was used), and contributes to preparing the infrastructure for the integration of green gases and the reduction of carbon emissions.
“Green gases will have an increasingly significant share in the energy mix in our country. Through projects such as 30HyGrid, we test concrete solutions for the future and obtain essential data that can support the development of the regulatory framework and the infrastructure necessary for the integration of hydrogen and biomethane into the Romanian energy system”, states Cristian Secoșan, General Manager of Delgaz Grid.
Two testing stages
In the first stage, carried out in a controlled environment, at the Delgaz Grid Professional Training Center in Mediaș, short-term tests were carried out on household appliances (conventional and condensing boilers, heating convectors, hot water heaters, atmospheric burners used in heating and cooking stoves, terracotta stoves and cookers, all also tested in the first stage of the 20HyGrid project), with mixtures of natural gas and up to 35 vol.% hydrogen.
The second stage included tests on non-household, high-power installations and equipment (100 kW, 120 kW, 320 kW and 1,120 kW), in operation, such as high-power boilers, grain dryers, bakery ovens and heaters for outdoor terraces. They initially used a mixture of methane and 23 vol.% hydrogen, and later a mixture of methane and 30 vol.% hydrogen.
Tests carried out both in the polygon and in the field demonstrated that it is possible to use a mixture of natural gas and 30 vol.% hydrogen in existing installations and devices, without identifying relevant technical risks. From the perspective of the combustion process (appearance, stability, color, flame noise, etc.), the devices functioned properly, similar to operation with natural gas.
“Europe is decarbonizing with or without us. Through projects such as 30HyGrid, we want to be the promoters of this transition in Romania and to transform the natural gas infrastructure we have today into the backbone of the green gas infrastructure of tomorrow”, declares Anca Evoiu, Deputy General Manager of Delgaz Grid.
The tests were carried out by Delgaz Grid specialists, who gained experience and certification in Germany, at DVGW/EBI, the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water, a European standardization body and promoter of research and innovation projects, cooperating with the German regulatory authority.
“30HyGrid is a natural continuation of the 20HyGrid project and marks an important step in the decarbonization of the energy sector. The results validate the maturity of the technologies and confirm the progressive integration of green gases into the existing infrastructure and the potential to accelerate the energy transition through the intelligent valorization of current assets”, says Dr. Cristian Călin, Director of Green Gas Programs and Decarbonization Solutions at Delgaz Grid.
The 30HyGrid project represents a new step forward in the adoption of green gases, and measurements carried out during the tests have highlighted the reduction of some compounds resulting from the combustion process, in particular carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
The results of the project will be made available to the competent authorities to support the development of the regulatory framework necessary for the use of green gases.
In the coming period, Delgaz Grid will continue research through the three projects started, dedicated to the medium-term use of mixtures of natural gas and 30 vol.% hydrogen (BlendUp30), the production and injection of biomethane into the network (BioMethanMix), and the testing of the use of 100 vol.% hydrogen in the distribution infrastructure and in the use devices, such as dedicated hydrogen thermal power plants or condensing power plants equipped with hydrogen conversion kits (HyGrid100).