Consensus Engineering Requirements for Hydrogen Pipelines

Abstract In June 2023, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) agreed that an update to ASME B31.12 was required. Especially relating to the technical standards for converting and operating hydrogen and hydrogen blend pipelines. It was acknowledged that the updates should be transferred over to ASME B31.8. To provide rapid development and implementation, the Emerging Fuels Institute (EFI), established by the Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI), developed a project to create Consensus Engineering Requirements (CERs) as a basis on ASME’s behalf. The CERs were completed in Q2 2024. Work is ongoing to progress the CERs through the ASME committee review process, with an expectation to implement the new guidelines for hydrogen pipelines in the 2026 version of ASME B31.8. The CERs are predicated on the latest research related to pipeline transport of hydrogen gas and blended hydrogen gas developed by global industry expertise. The CER project team consisted of over 40 members, the majority of who are gas pipeline operators. The group worked in close collaboration with key stakeholders, including the tripartite members of PRCI, European Pipeline Research Group (EPRG) and Australian Pipeline Gas Association (APGA). This paper presents a summary of the process used to create the CERs and guidance published by the EFI. It focuses on the significant technical issues that had to be resolved. Because ASME codes are used throughout the world, it was important to create guidance that balanced local requirements and challenges with best practice. Consequently, significant effort was taken to align with industry experts and distill the level of knowledge into practical, concise, and robust requirements. The paper will provide the reader with a summary of the work performed by the EFI to move the industry forward at a rate matching the demand for hydrogen as an energy carrier.