Énergir will be able to position itself in the promising hydrogen market. The Régie de l’énergie du Québec has just authorized the natural gas distributor to inject hydrogen into part of its network to assess the effects of transporting the resource on its infrastructure.
But before introducing it into the 11,000 kilometers of gas pipelines in its network, Énergir first of all wants to measure “the interchangeability of green hydrogen. [hydrogène produit à partir d’énergies renouvelables] with natural gas ”, ie the potential effects of the combination of the two gases on the components of its distribution networks.
To do this, the company will start by introducing small quantities, in a closed circuit, in the form of a mixture with natural gas. These tests will be carried out at two sites it owns: one located near the Cité du Multimédia, in Montreal, and the Quartier de l’énergie, in Boucherville.
The two “mobile injection stations” – designed and manufactured for this $ 5.9 million project – should introduce the first quantities of hydrogen as early as May 2022. The tests will be spread over a period of one year.
“We will start with very small quantities, and we could inject up to a quantity that represents 20% of a network,” explains Olivier Pineau, Director of Engineering and Asset Management at Énergir.
What if the tests are conclusive? “The goal is to be able to map our network. What are the areas where hydrogen could be injected if we made the necessary adaptations? What are the areas where there should not be, because of certain characteristics? »Explains Mr. Pineau.
Not only would this technique facilitate the transport of the lightest elements on the planet, but it would also make it possible to store surplus electricity, he notes, stressing that the network has a significant storage capacity: ” […] surplus electricity could be used to produce green hydrogen which could go into the grid and then be distributed. “
Does this mean that the hydrogen produced in Quebec could soon be distributed on a continental scale? Mr. Pineau here wishes to distinguish between distribution networks and transport networks. Distribution networks – often regional – are used to transport the resource to customers.
Transport networks, on the other hand, should be seen as “gas highways”. Their pressure is greater, and the volume of gas is greater. But above all, the materials are not the same, he recalls: “Our distribution networks are generally made of polyethylene, which is a plastic. Transportation networks are made of steel. As a result, tests should also be carried out on them to evaluate, before the injection of hydrogen, the reaction of the materials.
The door is not closed to Énergir’s networks being able to accommodate hydrogen from producers located in Quebec. Two of the largest hydrogen production centers in the world are located in the province. Air Liquide’s Bécancour plant produces nearly 8.5 tonnes of green hydrogen daily. For its part, Hydro-Québec plans to build an electrolysis plant with a capacity of 88 megawatts in Varennes.
The distribution market
More and more natural gas distributors around the world are trying to position themselves on the hydrogen market. In Canada, the gas pipeline operator Enbridge has been piloting a project for the past year to inject hydrogen into part of its network that supplies 3,600 customers in Markham, in the northern suburbs of Toronto.
In the Outaouais region, Gazifère announced in February that it wanted to produce hydrogen and introduce it into its network. ATCO is expected to inject it soon into its natural gas network in a residential area of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.
Although the interest of distributors is important, these initiatives are still in their early stages. The tests that distribution companies are carrying out aim to adapt their respective networks to the growing demand for hydrogen. It should be remembered that the gas transport networks are, in fact, interconnected on the scale of the continent.
Especially since the boom in the hydrogen market should, in the coming years, be financially supported by governments. In January, Ottawa presented a hydrogen strategy aimed at “maximizing decarbonization” and helping the federal government achieve its carbon neutral goal by 2050.
In its most recent budget, the Government of Quebec reiterated its desire to develop the sector by announcing investments of $ 20 million. A provincial hydrogen strategy is expected to be announced.