Contractors for the provision of hydrogen end user skills and standards for heat supporting research and evidence

Tender description

BEIS has appointed contractors to undertake desk based research and field work on hydrogen to support the development of standards required for the re-purposing of existing gas infrastructure downstream of the emergency control valve to be used with hydrogen. This programme will serve to support and inform future policy appraisal in Government and to inform the development of policies and measures to meet UK carbon budgets. The work covers a range of priority research areas to support the creation of standards which will support hydrogen trials in the UK. Lot 1: LOT 1 – RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE GATHERING FOR PIPED SYSTEMS WITH RESPECT TO HYDROGEN FOR: I) PURGING, II) TIGHTNESS AND MATERIAL COMPATABILITY Research to address purging of piped gas systems to identify where additional data is required to permit the development of safe purging procedures for both domestic and non-domestic environments. Gas tightness and material compatibility of existing pipework and fittings downstream of the ECV for hydrogen gas and natural gas as a baseline. Lot 2: Lot 2 – Research and Evidence Gathering for Material and Component Suitability – Domestic and Non-Domestic with Respect to Hydrogen The aim of this work is to determine materials which are suitable for use with hydrogen. The work will initially consist of a literature search followed by experimental testing (where the literature search concludes additional evidence is required) to quantify the relative risk of using these materials with hydrogen against the baseline of natural gas systems, including longevity. Lot 3: Lot 3 – Installation Ventilation and Flues This work will undertake a set of scenario specific ventilation and flueing projects to address specific gaps in the evidence base. The work is not seeking to examine whole property ventilation. It is intended to provide evidence to understand the requirements of specific sub-categories of installation work such as ventilation of inter floor piping/voids and flueing requirements of specific appliances such as hydrogen gas fires. Lot 4: Lot 4 – Pipe Sizing and Pressure Drop Criteria Research to confirm an appropriate and standardised methodology to be applied to installation pipework sizing. This will ensure that such pipework has adequate capacity to deliver the flow of hydrogen (per mass or per volume) required to deliver the same flow of energy required to hydrogen burning appliances. Sizing methodology output will take the form of ready reckoner tables in terms of power requirement. Lot 5: Lot 5 – Research and evidence gathering for hydrogen: i) meter, internal and external, ventilation study, ii) installation and set point of excess flow valves (EFVs) Research to consider representative, internal and external, meter housing, design considerations including necessary clearances, ventilation requirements for gas and the potential for humidity/water build up. Research to consider items such as the installation and calibration of EFVs to cover domestic and non-domestic supply. This will include what methodology and basis will be used to set the shutoff point for the valves during operation and purging, and understand how to check and test them.