Penspen, National Gas Launch Study on Preventing Hydrogen Pipeline Embrittlement
Penspen has begun a new NIA-funded study with National Gas Transmission to evaluate whether oxygen can inhibit hydrogen embrittlement in repurposed pipeline infrastructure—critical research as the UK develops a 1,500-mile hydrogen transmission network.
Penspen has been awarded a new engineering study by National Gas Transmission (NGT) to assess whether oxygen can be used as an inhibitor to reduce hydrogen-induced embrittlement in pipeline steel—one of the key technical barriers to repurposing natural gas infrastructure for hydrogen service.
Funded through OFGEM’s Network Innovation Allowance (NIA), the project will examine how low concentrations of oxygen may mitigate material degradation, including reduced fracture toughness, lower ductility, and accelerated fatigue crack growth rates that occur when steel pipelines carry hydrogen.
NGT, operator of the 5,000-mile National Transmission System, is planning a 1,500-mile hydrogen backbone made up of repurposed natural gas pipelines and newly built hydrogen infrastructure. The study will inform operating parameters and design considerations for this future network.
Engineering work will be led from Penspen’s Newcastle office with support from its Centers of Engineering Excellence in Aberdeen and Abu Dhabi. The scope includes identifying alternative inhibitors, designing oxygen dosing systems, and creating a roadmap for validation and deployment.
“Penspen is uniquely positioned to support this multidisciplinary effort,” said Dominic Wynne, Regional Business Development Manager at Penspen. “The results will help define an optimized operating window for hydrogen pipelines.”
NGT innovation engineer Robert Best added that inhibitor technologies could enable higher operating pressures and more flexible operations in hydrogen service, though technical challenges remain. The study aims to clarify whether oxygen inhibition is a practical solution for future hydrogen pipeline integrity management.