DNV Issues New Guidance for Offshore Hydrogen Pipelines
DNV has released new guidance addressing hydrogen-specific risks in offshore pipelines, aimed at advancing safe design and requalification of infrastructure.
(P&GJ) — DNV has issued new guidance aimed at addressing hydrogen-specific risks in offshore pipeline systems, as operators look to expand hydrogen transport using both new and existing infrastructure.
The recommended practice, DNV-RP-F123, focuses on how hydrogen changes pipeline integrity, including risks such as embrittlement, and provides design and operational guidance for transporting hydrogen gas and blends offshore.
“Hydrogen service fundamentally changes the integrity picture for pipeline systems,” said Prajeev Rasiah, Executive Vice President and Regional Director for Northern Europe, Energy Systems at DNV. “It cannot be treated as a simple variant of natural gas. This recommended practice moves beyond theoretical study to provide an evidence-based framework for assessing hydrogen-specific risks in design, requalification, and operation.”
The guidance builds on DNV’s long-standing submarine pipeline standard and is intended for both new pipeline developments and the requalification of existing offshore assets.
Hydrogen has been identified as a key option for reducing emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors, but uncertainty around material performance and operating limits has slowed project development. The new framework is designed to reduce those uncertainties and support project execution.
The RP was developed through the H2Pipe joint industry project, which brought together operators, manufacturers and engineering firms to consolidate testing and operational data into practical guidance.
“The objective of the H2Pipe JIP is to build guidance grounded in shared data and real technical experience from testing,” said Philippe Darcis, Chairman of the H2Pipe JIP Steering Committee and Pipeline Technology Senior Director at Tenaris. “The real value of the H2Pipe JIP is in turning years of shared data into credible, site-ready guidance that engineers can use to scale hydrogen infrastructure.”
DNV said the next phase of the project will focus on large-scale pipe testing to further validate data and refine guidance as hydrogen pipeline projects move closer to deployment.