During the last quarter of 2022, for the first time in Western Australia (WA), ATCO Australia blended a small amount of renewable hydrogen into the existing natural gas distribution network as part of the Hydrogen Blending Project in the City of Cockburn (Project). Following on from the WA State Government's Renewable Hydrogen Strategy, which was released in 2019, ATCO Australia was awarded almost $2 million dollars in funding to support a project to blend renewable hydrogen into the existing natural gas distribution network within the City of Cockburn.
This project commenced as one of the largest of its kind in Australia, at around 3,000 connections, with renewable hydrogen being blended into discrete sections of the WA gas distribution network within Glen Iris, Treeby and Calleya Estates within the City of Cockburn. The project is blending up to 10% of renewable hydrogen into the discrete parts of the network at various times when there is sufficient flow rate.
This project has already achieved the WA State Government?s goal of distributing renewable hydrogen in the gas distribution network by 2022.
Location: City of Cockburn - Jandakot, Western Australia
Start Date: December 2022
Number of connections: ~3,000
The use of renewable hydrogen within the existing natural gas network provides an exciting opportunity to reduce carbon emissions into the future.
As a resident within the Project area, if you?re currently connected to the natural gas network you will not need to do anything as part of the Project. As with the current gas network, we will be managing and monitoring all aspects of the Project.
When the flow rate is sufficient and we inject renewable hydrogen into the Project area network, there will be no noticeable change to your current gas supply. During the Project, the percentage of hydrogen in the Project area network at any time is expected to be between 2% and 10%, which will be blended with the same natural gas customers are already using.
Hydrogen is a colourless, odourless, nontoxic, and non-poisonous gas. When burned, it produces heat and water vapour with no carbon emissions. As we?re blending small amounts of hydrogen into the current natural gas network, the blended gas will still include the same smell associated with natural gas currently, therefore the look, sound and smell of the gas will remain consistent.
At ATCO Australia, safety is always the first and top priority in everything we do. We care deeply about our people and our customers and have undertaken extensive testing on the blending process, and use of blended gas at our facility in Jandakot WA. There are also numerous examples of blended hydrogen being trialled in natural gas pipelines around the world, including in South Australia, and in the UK, US and Europe. Gas safety advice for natural gas customers within the Project area will remain the same during the Project. If you suspect a gas leak, please move a safe distance from the area and immediately phone ATCO on 13 13 52.
Extensive testing has found that hydrogen blended into natural gas networks at ratios up to 10% does not impact modern appliances in Australia, therefore we are confident there will be no impact to appliances during the Project (as we will only blend up to 10% hydrogen into the natural gas network at any time).
In future, if there are much higher percentages of hydrogen within the blended gas, there may be a need to change some appliances. However, the percentage of hydrogen will not reach levels during the Project that would require any change to appliances.
We understand that the use of blended gas may be a concern to some residents, therefore we will be offering free appliance and gas supply inspections for residents and commercial customers within the Project area. During the one-hour inspection, an ATCO Australia representative will check and collect information on customer?s current natural gas appliances and the integrity of the natural gas pipes supplying the home and business.
If you would like to arrange an inspection of your gas appliances and live within the Project area, please contact our friendly team online or call us on 13 13 56. If you have gas appliances that pre-date 1995, please get in touch.
If you would like to discuss this project further, please email us, using the web form or call us on 13 13 56. If you call ATCO Australia, when prompted, please select: Option 2: 'Hydrogen'
CALL 13 13 56
ATCO Australia's world leading Clean Energy Innovation Hub, generates renewable hydrogen and is a significant step in Western Australia?s move towards a hydrogen economy.