Government to Promote Demonstration of Hydrogen Blending in City Gas... Expected to Reduce 3.55 Million Tons of Greenhouse Gases Annually

Ministry of Industry Launches 'City Gas Hydrogen Blending Demonstration Task Force'
Aiming for Commercialization of City Gas Hydrogen Blending by 2026

2030 Greenhouse Gas Emissions to be Reduced by 40% Compared to 2018, Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target Plan Confirmed
(Yeongjongdo=Yonhap News) Reporter Ryu Young-seok = On the 27th, the government confirmed the revised 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions by 40% compared to 2018 at the Cabinet meeting. The photo shows the chimney of the Shin-Incheon Combined Cycle Power Plant in Seo-gu, Incheon. 2021.10.27
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[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The government aims to commercialize hydrogen blending in city gas by 2026 and will begin related demonstrations starting this year. Once hydrogen blending in city gas is commercialized, it is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3.55 million tons annually.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 8th that it held a meeting to launch the 'City Gas Hydrogen Blending Demonstration Task Force' chaired by Vice Minister Park Ki-young. Attendees included Korea Gas Corporation, Korea Gas Safety Corporation, three city gas companies, and the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation Institute.

The launch of the demonstration task force is a follow-up measure to the '1st Hydrogen Economy Implementation Basic Plan' announced by the government last November. Hydrogen blending in city gas was included in the basic plan as a carbon neutrality implementation measure for the city gas industry. Hydrogen blending in city gas involves mixing hydrogen into city gas supply. After installing hydrogen blending facilities at pressure regulation stations of gas wholesalers such as Korea Gas Corporation or at pressure regulation facilities of general city gas operators, hydrogen-mixed natural gas is supplied to users through the city gas pipeline network.

Natural Gas Usage Decreases by 1.29 Million Tons Annually

The government's motivation for promoting hydrogen blending in city gas lies in carbon neutrality. As hydrogen is blended into city gas, the usage rate of city gas decreases, leading to a reduction in carbon emissions. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, replacing 10% of natural gas with hydrogen can reduce natural gas usage by 1.29 million tons annually. Carbon emissions will be reduced by 3.55 million tons per year.

There is also the advantage of revitalizing the hydrogen economy. Supplying hydrogen through the 50,000 km-long city gas pipeline network connected nationwide can support the hydrogen economy before dedicated hydrogen pipeline infrastructure is established. In fact, once hydrogen blending in city gas is commercialized, all gas appliances using city gas?including residential gas boilers, gas stoves, and power generation gas turbines?will use hydrogen together.

However, for hydrogen blending in city gas to be commercialized, safety verification must be conducted. This is because hydrogen embrittlement, where hydrogen diffuses into metal and damages it, hydrogen leakage, and separation phenomena between city gas and hydrogen may occur. Accordingly, advanced countries such as the United States have already been actively conducting related research and demonstrations. Since 2020, the U.S. has been conducting research on hydrogen compatibility and lifespan analysis of natural gas pipelines through the 'HyBlend Project.' The UK launched the 'HyDeploy Project' in 2019 to demonstrate the safety of city gas pipelines and appliances.

This is why the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, together with the Gas Safety Corporation, launched the demonstration task force. Centered on the task force, the ministry will promote demonstrations on hydrogen compatibility and safety of city gas pipelines and appliances starting this year. The goal is to blend 20% hydrogen into city gas by 2026. The City Gas Business Act will also be amended by 2026 to institutionalize hydrogen blending in city gas.

Overview of Hydrogen Blending in City Gas.
[Photo by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy]

Actual Demonstrations Begin in 2024

The first phase of demonstration is a government research and development (R&D) project to be implemented from next year. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to carry out the 'Safety Verification of Hydrogen Blending in Natural Gas Pipeline Network and Development of Safety Technology' project from 2024 to 2025 to verify hydrogen compatibility and safety of city gas pipelines. The project budget is approximately 28 billion KRW. The testing facilities required for the R&D project will be established at the Korea Gas Corporation's Pyeongtaek receiving station starting from the second quarter of this year.

From the second phase, actual demonstrations based on the project results will proceed. Starting in 2024, the ministry will begin hydrogen blending demonstrations in selected regions considering pipeline materials, pipeline network types, and resident acceptance. The Gas Safety Corporation will be responsible for evaluating hydrogen embrittlement of city gas pipelines, lifespan prediction, and safety verification of appliances during the demonstration process. Korea Gas Corporation and city gas companies will handle the establishment of testing facilities, hydrogen blending demonstrations, and development of operational technologies.

Vice Minister Park said, "Hydrogen blending in city gas is a practical measure that can accelerate the hydrogen economy by not only reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also improving the economic efficiency of hydrogen supply." He added, "It is meaningful that hydrogen can establish itself as a major energy source for homes and industrial facilities beyond transportation fuel." Vice Minister Park also emphasized, "However, since the city gas pipeline network is directly linked to public safety, thorough safety verification must be ensured." He urged the task force to "proceed with the city gas hydrogen blending roadmap without any setbacks."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.