Page 75 - Industrial plants

Offshore pipelines design

in the Energy Transition

New H and CO transport operating scenarios, technological challenges and
2 2
innovation strategies

Elvira Aloigi, Technical Manager of H & CO Offshore Pipelines R&D Projects, Offshore Engineering
2 2
Giorgio Arcangeletti, R&D Engineering Dept. Manager, Asset-Based Business Line
Benedetto Orselli, Design and repurposing of offshore pipelines
Andrea Mercuri, Senior Technical Safety Specialist
Saipem S.p.A.

he new energy production and
distribution scenarios include
Renewable Energies, Hydrogen as
energy vector and the application of
Carbon Capture, Utilization and
T Storage (CCUS) technologies.
According to the International Energy Agency, pipelines,
as part of the transport infrastructure, are key enablers
of the transition to a decarbonized energy system
making it more viable economically especially when
repurposing existing oil and gas pipelines. Considering
Hydrogen transport, in Europe, 1.600 km hydrogen Picture 1 – Hydrogen Pipelines (existing and 2030 vision) based on data
pipelines were identified in 2016 all onshore whilst available from Roads2Hy.com and gasforclimate2050.eu
today the European gas transport associations, within
Gas for Climate, foresees 8 times more including
repurposing of the existing gas grid and offshore lines.

The topic of repurposing is another key element and
presumes that the energy transition should be based
on a circular economy approach maximizing re-use
without compromising safety.
In 2021 a study was commissioned by important
associations to assess the feasibility of repurposing the
European gas and oil infrastructure to transport
hydrogen or CO (Picture 2).
2
Some results applicable to offshore pipelines are
shown in Table 1.
The challenge for the pipeline designer is that no Picture 2 – Re-stream (2021), a Study on the reuse of oil and gas
hydrogen pipelines offshore exist today, very few are infrastructure for hydrogen and CCS in Europe, by Carbon Limits and DNV
the CO ones, repurposing activities are mostly limited (Det Norske Veritas) for IOGP (International Association of Oil & Gas
2 Producers), Entsog (European Network of Transmission System Operators
to life extension of existing pipeline without changing for Gas), Concawe, GIE (Gas Infrastructure Europe).
significatively the type of fluid transported.

IndustrIal Plants - May 2023
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