GRTgaz's RICE R&D center takes part in the European OPTHYCS project
Optic Fibre-Based Hydrogen Leak Control Systems (OPTHYCS): assessment of the first year of the project
Hydrogen has established itself as the fuel and raw material needed to decarbonize energy production, distribution, storage and consumption. The boom in hydrogen production and its introduction on the energy market have raised a major challenge: to reinforce the safety of hydrogen and prevent potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout its value chain.
With this in mind, GRTgaz, through its RICE R&D center, is taking part in a European project launched last year and funded by the European Commission, called OPTHYCS (Optic Fibre-Based Hydrogen Leak Control Systems). This project received funding from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership under grant agreement no. 101101415. This partnership is supported by the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research.
The OPTHYCS project aims to develop new sensor technologies for the continuous detection of leaks, based on fiber-optic sensor technologies, which will make it possible to anticipate and therefore minimize H2 releases and limit any impact on the climate. The project will cover the entire hydrogen value chain, from production to storage and distribution, both in new infrastructures running on pure H2 and in facilities and pipelines reused for natural gas, thus contributing to the safe and economically viable implementation of H2 production, transport and storage processes. The sensors developed will be tested in several use cases with pure H2 and H2 mixed with natural gas: open and closed pipelines, H2 refueling stations (HRS). The results obtained in these use cases will be used to adapt the solutions to safety, environmental and economic considerations.
The project is led by Enagas and includes R&D centers and companies from Spain, France and Belgium: GRTgazGAZ, Lumiker, Febus, FHa, Ttecnalia, GERG.
The OPTHYCS project revolves around 3 conceptual axes:
- Analysis of technological pillars and definition of a new sensor technology,
- Validation of the main use cases (pipelines, hydrogen filling stations and intermediate sites such as compressor and metering stations) for new technologies at three different controlled validation sites, and
- technology aspects derived from use cases, including safety and environmental risk assessment and regulatory framework, as well as a study of scalability and cost-effectiveness.
| Key technological pillars | validation of key use cases | technological aspects |
| hydrogen sensor based on optic fiber | gas pipeline network | safety aspects and regulations |
| data acquisition and interrogation systems | hydrogen fuelling station | assessments and regulatory framework |
| software solutions | intermediate sites | cost-efficiency and scalability |
3-year project, from TRL 3 to TRL 6
The project is also divided into 6 work packages (WP), as shown in the figure below.
The project was launched at the beginning of 2023 and will run for a further two years, until the end of 2025, with the aim of taking sensors from TRL 3 to TRL 6. In this way, these new sensors will be able to adapt to existing installations and new infrastructures, and analyze and classify leak types and sources according to risk, location, leak impact, severity probability and predictability, thanks to continuous predictive maintenance combined with faster response.
optical sensor characteristics
technical requirements, regulatory framework, use cases and definition of key performance indicators (KPIs)
Development of detection solutions
Interrogator and interpretation software development
Use case validation, impact analysis and scalability
Distribution, communication and operation
After 11 months of work, several objectives have been achieved:.
- Launch of the OPTHYCS website: https://opthycs.eu/
- Finalization of WP1, which included visits to demonstrators and industrial sites.
- Progress of work in Working Groups 2 and 3, focusing on the sensor itself.
- Participation in 2 conferences
- Organization of the annual consortium meeting (photo below, with project members).
What is GRTgaz's involvement?
GRTgaz's R&D center, RICE, will be in charge of WP4, dedicated to the testing and validation of use cases. The tests will be carried out at the sites of three partners: RICE's facilities (Jupiter1000 https://www.jupiter1000.eu/english), the Hydrogen Foundation of Aragon's fueling stations and Enagas' compressor stations. At each site, the optical fibers developed will be tested.
"GRTgaz is delighted to be involved in this project. We can't wait to continue planning the tests! In the coming months, we will be testing the performance of optical fibers at Jupiter 1000, on buried and overhead pipes. Cristina Lopez - RICE R&D Engineer GRTgaz, WP4 leader...
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