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Assertion: Compressed hydrogen can be transported short distances in pipelines with acceptable, minimal hydrogen leakage

Transporting gaseous hydrogen through pipelines has an estimated leakage rate of around 0.02% to 5%.1 The emissions from transporting hydrogen via pipelines vary depending on the type of pipeline used, manufacturing quality, and maintenance. For instance, pipelines that are welded together leak less than those using flanges to connect different sections.2

Pipeline length also affects leakage rates; longer pipelines have a higher risk of design flaws or maintenance issues compared to shorter ones. However, some long-distance hydrogen pipelines, such as those in Europe, have achieved leakage rates as low as 1%.3 Transporting hydrogen through pipelines has considerably lower emissions than other methods of hydrogen transport.4

A crucial factor is whether the pipeline is built specifically for hydrogen. Natural gas pipelines degrade when exposed to hydrogen due to hydrogen embrittlement, where hydrogen atoms make the metal brittle and prone to cracking.5 Policymakers and project developers can minimize emissions from hydrogen pipelines by using hydrogen-specific pipelines that meet high-performance standards.

Sources:​

Footnotes​

  1. Esquivel-Elizondo, S., Hormaza Mejia, A., Sun, T., Shrestha, E., Hamburg, S. P., & Ocko, I. B. (2023). Wide range in estimates of hydrogen emissions from infrastructure. Frontiers in Energy Research, 11, 1207208. ↩

  2. Arrigoni, A. & Bravo Diaz, L. (2022). Hydrogen emissions from a hydrogen economy and their potential global warming impact, EUR 31188 EN, Publications Office of the European Union. ↩

  3. Ibid. ↩

  4. Cooper, J., Dubey, L., Bakkaloglu, S., & Hawkes, A. (2022). Hydrogen emissions from the hydrogen value chain-emissions profile and impact to global warming. Science of The Total Environment, 830, 154624. ↩

  5. Pearl, L. (2022, July 22). Hydrogen blends higher than 5% raise leak, embrittlement risks for Natural Gas Pipelines: California PUC. Utility Dive. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/hydrogen-blends-higher-than-5-percent-raise-leak-embrittlement-risks/627895/ ↩