British National Gas picks Wood to design future grid

Britain’s National Gas has appointed Wood to digitally upgrade 7,600 kilometers of essential pipelines, compressor stations and terminal infrastructure as part of its commitment to the energy transition.

Through a five-year framework agreement, Wood said it will apply digital solutions to transform National Gas infrastructure to modern, cyber-secure technology across the entire network of critical assets across Britain.

The company is also delivering specialist hydrogen studies on the National Transmission System (NTS) to support National Gas’ target of achieving net zero by 2050.

The Wood Virtuoso digital twin solution will analyze the characteristics of blended hydrogen and natural gas and advise on the level of investment required to repurpose the NTS infrastructure to transport hydrogen on 25% of its pipelines. The NTS was constructed in the 1960s and ’70s and the technology is now reaching the end of its design life.

According to Wood, blending up to 20% hydrogen into the gas grid with existing natural gas could save around six million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. 

“This work demonstrates the intrinsic link between digitalisation and decarbonisation and Wood’s expertise to deliver tangible solutions that drive towards the industry’s net zero goals,” said Azad Hessamodini, Wood’s Executive President of Consulting.

“Through our ability to combine hydrogen and digital expertise, we are also providing a path for NGT to transition to low-carbon fuels through hydrogen blending, further supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions. National Gas is leading the way in the blending of hydrogen into pipelines not only to fuel industry, but to also serve homes, communities, and businesses.”

Speaking about other company-related news, Wood in June signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Transitus Energy to explore opportunities for onshore and offshore decarbonization projects across the UK energy industry.

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