Transportgas examining technical possibilities of using hydrogen in transport system

Transportgas from Novi Sad has announced a public procurement for the analysis of technical possibilities of using hydrogen in the transport system. As a reminder, Serbia is in the process of energy transition in accordance with the principles of the Green Agenda and obligations towards the Energy Community and European regulations, and in the context of decarbonization and increasing energy security, hydrogen is gaining increasing importance as an alternative fuel, with the aim of gradually integrating it into the existing natural gas transport system.

– The aim of this technical analysis is to assess, based on relevant data and regulations, the readiness of the transport system for the introduction of hydrogen in various natural gas supply scenarios, as well as to define technical, investment and regulatory measures that need to be taken in order to enable the safe and efficient integration of hydrogen into the gas infrastructure of Serbia, which is a country highly dependent on energy imports in the natural gas sector – the documentation states.

As added, there have been no significant discoveries of new natural gas deposits in recent years, most gas fields are in the final phase of exploitation and domestic natural gas production is declining.

– After decades of Russian gas supply via Ukraine and Hungary with a single-entry point into the transport system, the construction of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline and the interconnector from Nis to Dimitrovgrad has enabled Serbia to become a significantly larger transit country for natural gas in the future and to be supplied with natural gas from new sources. Through cooperation with Azerbaijan, Serbia is also achieving the strategic goal of diversifying suppliers and further strengthening its position as a transit country for gas supply to the countries of Central Europe. The European Energy Community has set goals for defining the quality of natural gas for all operators of transport systems in Southeast Europe, with particular emphasis on the use of hydrogen in existing transport systems and on the measures that need to be implemented for the acceptance and use of hydrogen. The gas transport pipelines that have been built in the past few years and are currently being built in Europe have the ability to transport 100% hydrogen – the documentation states.

The use of hydrogen in the transport system, as noted, significantly affects the quality and chemical composition of the gas, the use of which could affect the functioning of the gas transport pipeline system and all gas consumers on the territory of Serbia.

– The technical analysis of the possibility of using hydrogen should address how much hydrogen can be transported through existing gas pipelines by blending with natural gas, taking into account the different qualities of natural gas. The natural gas that will be transported in the near future will be of different qualities depending on the supply direction. Taking this into account, the technical analysis of the use of hydrogen must address different scenarios of the possibility of blending natural gas and hydrogen. Blending is the process of mixing different chemical compositions and qualities of natural gas and hydrogen in order to achieve the requirements related to its use, i.e. to meet the conditions of the gas transport pipeline system and the specific requirements of natural gas consumers – the documentation indicates.

The consumers of natural gas that need to be processed are, as specified, Zelezara Smederevo, asphalt bases, CNG filling stations, RNP Pancevo, TE-TO Pancevo, TE-TO Novi Sad, Petrohemija Pancevo, MSK Kikinda and city heating plants (Belgrade and Zrenjanin).

Among other things, as can be seen in the documentation, a proposal for measures to amend the legal regulations to enable the use of natural gas and hydrogen should be provided.

Bids can be submitted until July 23.

More details (in Serbian) can be found HERE.

D. A.

Transportgas Srbija doo Novi Sad

Železara Smederevo d.o.o.

HIP-Petrohemija a.d. Pančevo

Panonske TE-TO d.o.o. Novi Sad

MSK a.d Kikinda

Transportgas Srbija doo Novi Sad

Železara Smederevo

TE TO Pančevo

TE TO Novi Sad

Petrohemija Pančevo

MSK Kikinda

technical possibilities of using hydrogen in transport system