Assuring the assembly of hidden domestic gas pipework

Cadent Gas is looking for innovative solutions which enable efficient, non-intrusive identification and assessment of hidden gas pipework in homes and commercial buildings across the UK. The solution will enable Cadent Gas to assess the safety case for delivering hydrogen gas to an individual building. The solution will assess how well the hidden pipework was originally assembled to ensure valves and joints have been installed to current standards.

Opportunity

Challenge opens

26/04/2023

Challenge closes

09/06/2023

Benefit

Successful applicants will be given the opportunity to pitch their innovation to Cadent Gas who are leading the work on behalf of all UK network operators. Selected solution(s) will be trialed by Cadent, with the possibility of further adoption upon successful trials.

Background

Cadent is the UK’s largest Gas Distribution Network Operator (GDNO), bringing gas to 11 million homes and businesses. They manage a network of more than 82,000 miles of pipes, most of them underground, which transport gas throughout the North West, West Midlands, East Midlands, South Yorkshire, East of England and North London.

Cadent, along with the other UK GDNOs, are collaborating with experts from across the wider gas industry on the ground-breaking Hydrogen Village Programme (HVP), which in 2025 will swap the gas supply of a selected location in the UK of approximately 2000 domestic and non-domestic premises, from natural gas to hydrogen.

Cadent and Northern Gas Networks, assisted by British Gas, are speaking in detail with residents, landlords and businesses at the two potential conversion locations, to answer questions, complete surveys and create a strong community programme. As part of these surveys, every property in the proposed ‘Hydrogen Village’ areas – around 2,000 homes and a variety of non-domestic buildings within the two proposed areas for conversion – will receive a free in-home hydrogen assessment.

Cadent Gas and Northern Gas Networks have recently submitted bids to demonstrate to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that the HVP planned for their proposed locations can be safely converted for use with hydrogen. HSE Safety Determinations for trials and policy decision, built on an evidence framework developed by Dept for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), have identified key evidence gaps which must be covered ahead of any hydrogen trial and potential wider rollout of hydrogen as a solution for domestic heating and cooking.

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