SoluForce interview with Europoort Kringen

NEN standard in the making

This was sufficient for Groningen Seaport to get started. They submitted a 'regulation approval' which was approved by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Infrastructuur en Waterstaat). Berg: “The next step is that all the knowledge gained will now be included in a NEN standard, so that it becomes clear and demonstrable for all parties what non-metallic hydrogen distribution pipes must comply with. We are working on that now. In the meantime, we can continue at project level, but with a NEN standard it is clear: our product complies, period.”

For high and low pressure

That certainty is also what customers find important. “The question regarding demonstrable suitability of our pipelines for hydrogen distribution is the most frequently asked. And also what pressure it can handle. We made our first hydrogen pipe for direct connection to an electrolyser, so for high pressure. But we are increasingly asked what is possible at lower pressures of up to 20 bar for use in decentralized hydrogen distribution. We have now created a 'light version' for this.”
 

Waiting for an owner…

Berg makes a comment on low-pressure hydrogen distribution. “It is of course not economically interesting if your electrolyser can produce at high pressure, for example 30 bar, and you have to reduce it to a low pressure of approximately 8-16 bar for transport. It is therefore important that high pressure is also made possible in decentralized distribution networks. As far as our pipes are concerned, that is possible. What is still lacking is regulation and ownership. Many potential developers are waiting for this.”
 

…and on subsidies

On this and on subsidies. “There are quite a few projects underway, but many are still in the subsidy application and financial closure phase. Without subsidies, green hydrogen is currently not yet profitable. The annoying thing is that it is a fragmented process with many parties, where everyone has to wait for each other. If a producer is still waiting for a subsidy for the realization of his production facility, we (and the contractor) cannot start yet.”
 

Project Duwaal

Fortunately, a lot is still happening. “Look at the Duwaal project, from Wind to Wheel: the hydrogen windmill in Wieringermeer. SoluForce is involved in this project and will install the pipes between the wind turbine and the gas station. We do this on several projects. But the real acceleration is yet to come.”
 

Bring it on

Before then, SoluForce hopes to reach as many decentralized hydrogen producers as possible. “In the traditional oil and gas industry in the Middle East, everyone knows our pipes. They are the standard there. So the switch to using these non-metallic pipes for hydrogen distribution is logical. In the Netherlands, steel pipes are still the standard, so people have yet to experience the benefits of our pipes. There are plenty of them, both at purchase and in Total Cost of Ownership and sustainability: significantly lower CO2 emissions during production, installation and use than steel pipes. So let the acceleration come. We can start tomorrow!”
 

More expensive, but cheaper

SoluForce's flexible composite pipes may be more expensive in terms of material than steel pipes, but they are still cheaper in terms of investment and TCO. It lies in the low installation costs (fast installation due to long, flexible pipe) and the minimal maintenance required (no corrosion or hydrogen embrittlement). In addition, due to its non-metallic character, it can handle pressure fluctuations and does not react with hydrogen, so that its purity is maintained.
 

SoluForce

SoluForce is the originator and leader in composite piping systems, traditionally intended for the oil and gas industry. In addition to hydrogen applications, the company also focuses on other forms of energy generation, including tidal energy. Their motto: 'Revolutionizing the way energy is transported'.