H2 quality requirements

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

Glossary:

H2 quality requirements are 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.
Is it a barrier?
Yes
Type of Barrier
Structural barriers, Operational barriers, Economic barriers, Regulatory gap
Assessment Severity
3

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?
In Austria it is the energy content – expressed in kWh. One has to mention that the tariffs for the usage of the infrastructure is based on the transported energy and not on the transported volumes.
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?
Not clarified yet but following the so far used approach, there is no difference between for the monitoring and billing of hydrogen natural gas mixtures from the technical perspective. The TSO is responsible for the safe and reliable operation of the grid, hence the TSO accepts gas (mixtures) at the specified quality only otherwise there might be huge problems regarding billing and operation of the grid. The TSO is metering the amount of the gas and the quality with a gas–phase chromatograph. This doesn’t mean that it is up to the TSO to purchase such equipment. These data can be provided to the TSO by the hydrogen supplier as well.
Question 3 Are there other hydrogen quality related legal and administrative requirements to allow the injection of hydrogen in the grid?
The gas mixture has to be injected at the required pressure and according to the reported schedules in terms of volume and time and there might be a need for regulations dealing with the balancing energy. The gas mixture has to meet the specifications of the gross calorific and the other parameters (defined in ÖVGW 31 and 33) value as well.
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 TSO or a third party?
It is up to the TSO to measure the volumes and quality of the injected gas (mixture but it is up to the producer to supply at guaranteed the mixture at the specified quality.)
Describe the comparable technology and its relevance with regard to hydrogen
Similar to biomethane

National legislation:

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.
  • Regulation 715/2009 on conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks
    Regulation 715/2009 sets non-discriminatory rules for access conditions to (a) natural gas transmission systems; (b) LNG facilities and storage facilities taking into account the special characteristics of national and regional markets

    To achieve this, it sets harmonised principles for tariffs, or the methodologies underlying their calculation, for access to the network, but not to storage facilities, the establishment of third-party access services and harmonised principles for capacity-allocation and congestion-management, the determination of transparency requirements, balancing rules and imbalance charges, and the facilitation of capacity trading.
  • Regulation (EC) No 713/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing an Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators
    Article 1 Project matter and scope
    This regulation aims at:
    (a) setting non–discriminatory rules for access conditions to natural gas transmission systems taking into account the special characteristics of national and regional markets with a view to ensuring the proper functioning of the internal market in gas;

    Article 8 “Tasks as regards terms and conditions for access to and operational security of cross border infrastructure
  • Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/703 of 30 April 2015 establishing a network code on interoperability and data exchange rules
    The network code on interoperability aligns the complex technical procedures used by network operators within the EU, and possibly with network operators in the Energy Community and other countries neighbouring the EU.Article 7, Measurement principles for gas quantity and quality. In addition to interconnection points, Article 17 shall apply to other points on transmission network where the gas quality is measured. Article 18 shall apply to transmission systems. This Regulation may also apply at entry points from and exit points to third countries, subject to the decision of the national authorities.