H2C Safety Pipe, Inc. – H2CSP, which is a developer of proprietary technologies when it comes to more secure, less expensive hydrogen transport and distribution, congratulated Gavin Newsom, the California Governor, on signing Senate Bill 804, the Hydrogen Pipeline Safety Act – SB 804, which creates a hydrogen-specific pipeline safety structure as the state gets ready for the infrastructure required for hydrogen to assist efforts to decarbonize critical sectors.
The legislation recognizes that as the hydrogen economy grows, one will need to build out infrastructure and safety requirements tailored to hydrogen, rather than applying standards established for traditional natural gas pipelines.
State Senator Bob Archuleta is an influential voice on hydrogen policy in the California legislature, and ever since being designated chair of the Select Committee on Hydrogen Energy in 2021, he has done his part on advancing policies that promote hydrogen manufacturing, infrastructure, transportation, and safety.
He says, “California has an opportunity to lead the nation, and the world, in the safe development of hydrogen infrastructure. Hydrogen Pipeline Safety Act gives us the tools to do that. This legislation is about preparing for the future while making sure that safety keeps pace with innovation.”
H2CSP director and former speaker of the California State Assembly and majority leader of the California State Senate, Robert M. Hertzberg, said that “Having spent much of my career in the California legislature, what strikes me about Hydrogen Pipeline Safety Act is the breadth of support behind it. Labour, environmental groups, and business interests came together around the legislation, and Democrats and Republicans voted unanimously for it in both houses. That kind of consensus is unusual today, and I think it reflects a shared recognition that for hydrogen to become an important part of our energy future, we need to establish the framework for transporting it safely, reliably, and at lower cost.”
New Statewide Protocol for Safe Hydrogen Pipelines
The key provisions of Hydrogen Pipeline Safety Act mandate hydrogen pipelines to –
- Be developed and constructed to reduce hydrogen leakage to the lowest level that is technically achievable.
- Use materials that are chemically conductive with hydrogen and resistant to hydrogen-induced degradation, such as corrosion and embrittlement.
- Use ongoing measurements and tracking systems that can preemptively and in actual time identify variations from normal operating scenarios.
It is well to be noted that the pipeline owners will also be required to keep precise operational documentation of hydrogen level standards and verified leakage and annually submit a report to the state fire marshal on compliance with that statutory requirement.
Hydrogen Pipeline Safety Act also fills a significant void in the regulatory framework of California. Before this there has not been a clear definition of state security oversight of designated hydrogen pipelines beyond the jurisdiction of the California Public Utilities Commission – CPUC.
The law creates a statewide security framework within the Office of the State Fire Marshal, while maintaining the current CPUC authority over public utilities in its purview. Where new norms conflict with requirements established by the CPUC, the more protective provision will be in effect.
H2C Safety Pipe Technology Aligns with New Safety Framework
H2CSP President and CEO Robert H. Shelton remarked that “Earlier this year, Bob Hertzberg and I co-authored an article in World Pipelines examining how California could help establish a new approach to hydrogen pipeline integrity based on the principle of integrity by design. The idea was that hydrogen infrastructure should be designed from the outset to minimize leakage, use materials suited to hydrogen’s unique properties, and provide continuous awareness of pipeline operating conditions. Those core principles are now reflected in California law.”
H2CSP had been working on its Safety Pipe™ technology based on many of those principles for years before the introduction of SB 804. The business’s strategy is to integrate materials chosen for their hydrogen reactivity and resilience to degradation with technologies built to continuously identify, preserve, and minimize hydrogen leakage, as opposed to depending on periodic checks.
H2CSP went on to develop three pipeline architectures for various applications and safety standards. The most protective configuration is a pipe-in-pipe system, where a composite hydrogen carrier pipe is contained within an outer safety pipe providing secondary containment. The annular gap between the pipes is purged with an inert gas and tracked by hydrogen sensors, so operators can identify even very small levels of hydrogen escaping and how those levels change over time before a bigger safety issue arises.
Says Martin L. Adams, H2CSP director and former general manager and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest publicly owned utility, “What is significant about SB 804 from our perspective is that the regulatory framework has evolved in the same direction as the technology on which H2C Safety Pipe has worked for years. Minimizing leakage, using hydrogen-compatible materials, and employing continuous monitoring are not theoretical objectives. Technologies capable of implementing those principles exist today, and we believe California’s action will help accelerate their deployment by setting a clear path for hydrogen to be moved throughout the state with the utmost safety and confidence.”
Potential Impacts Outside of California
California’s stance could have far-reaching consequences. Hydrogen is a progressively more viable option for industrial uses, sustainable aviation fuel, heavy-duty transport, power generation, long-duration energy storage, etc., in the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, China, and various other parts of the globe.
Peter Miller, H2CSP environmental policy director and former director of Western Region Climate & Clean Energy at the Natural Resources Defence Council opines that “Governments and project developers need to be able to transport hydrogen safely and at scale while minimizing leakage, protecting surrounding communities, and preserving hydrogen’s environmental benefits.”
Interestingly, SB 804 offers a regulatory model to tackle obstacles before large hydrogen pipeline networks are built. The legislation specifically recognizes the significance of hydrogen pipeline safety and environmental integrity, the role that hydrogen can play in lowering carbon emissions, and the value of proactive management as hydrogen infrastructure begins to be developed.
Adds Shelton, “For the hydrogen economy to scale globally, people must trust the infrastructure carrying the hydrogen. California is establishing that trust at the beginning rather than waiting to build it after the fact. We believe the principles reflected in SB 804 address fundamental requirements for hydrogen infrastructure and that those principles, and technologies such as those H2CSP has developed to implement them, will be increasingly adopted across the US and around the world.”