Bureau Veritas recently carried out a successful assessment of a section of the gas pipeline network operated by NGT (Noordgastransport) and NOGAT (Northern Offshore Gas Transport) in the North Sea. This inspection focused on the suitability of the (gas) pipelines to transport (green) hydrogen.
Certificates
Following on from a previous screening conducted in 2018 by DNV, this year, Bureau Veritas was assigned to conduct a complementary assessment of this screening as an independent third party. This verification related to 317 kilometres of NGT pipelines and 266 kilometres of NOGAT pipelines, which resulted in official certification. This was underscored with the award of a set of certificates at the ‘Wind meets Gas 2022’ event in Groningen on 6 October.
“Bureau Veritas is delighted with the contribution we have been able to make to this project. As an independent party, we were given the opportunity to assess a screening that had been previously conducted. This screening related to the suitability of the pipelines for the transport of green hydrogen. This is entirely in keeping with our role as a TIC (testing, certification, inspection) service provider and with our expertise in the area of hydrogen applications,” explains Robert de Lange, Bureau Veritas’ Operations Director Industry & IVS Benelux. “The assessment carried out by ourselves and the resulting certification warrant the trust which NGT and NOGAT, as well as the government and other stakeholders, should place in the claim that the said pipelines comply with the ‘fit for purpose’ label,” concludes Robert de Lange.
NGT and NOGAT
NGT B.V. owns and operates a pipeline infrastructure of some 500 kilometres in the North Sea. For nearly 50 years, NGT has been taking approximately 30% of the natural gas pumped up in the Dutch section of the North Sea on land. After the gas has been treated at its Uithuizen plant, NGT supplies the gas to the nationwide gas transport network.
Since 1992, NOGAT has been carrying natural gas from various locations in the Dutch section of the North Sea, through its own subsea pipeline system, to the onshore gas treatment station in Den Helder. There, the natural gas is transported to the gas treatment station where the gas is treated to meet specifications.
Energy transition and hydrogen
Against the background of the energy transition, a lot of stakeholders, including NGT and NOGAT, are looking at the wide range of opportunities offered by the production, storage, transport and distribution of hydrogen as an alternative and renewable source of energy. The screening and the assessment of the existing infrastructure, such as NGT and NOGAT’s pipeline network, were carried out in anticipation of future developments, which include the large-scale production of green hydrogen in the North Sea as one of the central elements. The exploration and verification of the (technical) opportunities are part of this transition, in anticipation of the smart use of the existing infrastructure. This sees NGT and NOGAT lead the way as proud offshore pipeline owners and recipients of their first Certificate of Suitability.