GRTgaz and Mines Paris - PSL launch a joint research laboratory on hydrogen: Défi H

On the occasion of Mines Paris Research Day 2022, GRTgaz, the main gas transmission operator committed to the energy transition, and Mines Paris - PSLa leading French engineering school, have signed a five-year partnership for research in the field of hydrogen, resulting in the creation of a joint laboratory, Défi H. Intended to study the effects of hydrogen on structural materials, Défi H will generate new thesis work and develop new technological tools through close collaboration between the teams.A partnership resolutely focused on the energy transition, consolidating France's ambitions in the field of hydrogenThrough its RICE Research and Development center, GRTgaz has maintained a close relationship with Mines Paris - PSL for several years, through Chairs, theses and projects involving doctoral students, post-doctoral students, specialized masters and interns. Recently, and after several studies on the impacts of hydrogen on steels, GRTgaz and MINES Paris - PSL have embarked on more ambitious projects: the Gas Economy Chair, the Prothycol project (Protection of pipes using Coldspray technology, winner of the 2018 Open Innovation award), the Precos project (Repair of pipes using Coldspray). An industrial ANR chair MESSIAH (Mini-Tests for the In-Service Monitoring of Structures with Application to Hydrogen Transport) has even been created.

The major role that hydrogen will play in the decarbonization of industry and transportation is being confirmed day by day. A network adapted to hydrogen by converting existing structures costs two to three times less than a new network. By enabling the interconnection between consumption and production points and access to underground storage, this dedicated network will effectively support the development of a hydrogen market in France.

With Défi H, GRTgaz and Mines Paris - PSL wish to strengthen the synergies of research and training activities related to the protection and aging of hydrogen transport networks.

The main objective of this partnership is to develop work and common actions around several axes:

GRTgaz and Mines Paris - PSL will be able to pool their research and collaborate on several test beds that make up Défi H, The RICE Fenhyx platform will also be made available for the needs of Mines Paris - PSL researchers who will be able to generate new academic knowledge. Fenhyx is a unique experimental platform for determining the effects of hydrogen, alone or in a mixture, on metallic specimens, and under pressure.

"Research has always played a key role in GRTgaz's business plan. This kind of collaboration allows us to develop knowledge sharing between the academic and industrial worlds, and to bring researchers closer to the economic challenges of the years to come, namely the development of hydrogen and its transportation by pipeline. Hydrogen is the energy of the future and it is logical that GRTgaz should surround itself with high-level researchers in order to prepare together for the energy transition of tomorrow."
Anne-Sophie Decaux, Technical Director - Head of Industrial Performance and New Technologies at GRTgaz.

"I am very pleased with this new agreement - which further strengthens the ties between Mines Paris and GRTgaz - and underscores our commitment to the benefit of industry, business and society - in the search for solutions for the energy transition and collective progress towards a carbon neutral world."
Vincent Laflèche, General Manager of Mines Paris - PSL

GRTgaz and the CEA launch a joint Lab for the energy transition

The CEA and GRTgaz are giving a new impetus to their collaboration with the signing of a research agreement aimed at creating a "joint Lab" to prepare the energy landscape of tomorrow.This joint approach was made official on Tuesday, June 28, at the CEA site in Saclay (Essonne department) in the presence of Thierry Rouvé, GRTgaz's Chief Executive Officer, and Stéphane Siebert, CEA's Director of Research.

GRTgaz, through RICE, its Research and Development center, has been working for several years with the CEA on various innovative research projects, in particular GRTgaz's "Jupiter 1000" renewable hydrogen and e-methane production demonstrator, whose latest news can be found on our website.

This new collaboration strengthens the ties between these two partners, who are fully committed to making joint progress in the area of energy sovereignty and offering innovative solutions that will bring about environmental change.

Download the press release by following the link.

E-NAILS the precision geolocation solution made in RICE

Following the participation of our teams in the exhibition of the association of Mayors of Ile de France and the presentation of the new E-Nails service, discover more precisely the advantages of this new and unique geolocation solution, developed within RICE, the research center of GRTgaz.Precision geolocation: a real challenge in urban environments|A first phase of deployment in France and the United StatesIn France, 16,000 accidents are recorded each year on all the networks, which are a major source of nuisance for local residents and city users. It is therefore essential today to know the precise positions of buried networks, gas, water, electricity, telecom, to carry out repair or development work while minimizing the risks.

The geolocation of the networks is possible thanks to the use of the GNSS network (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) which has the characteristic of being sensitive to the obstacles present between the receiving terminal and the satellites. In urban areas, the more or less dense constructions interfere with the signals, making precise geolocation impossible.

RICE is developing a precision geolocation solution, E-Nails, based on UWB (Ultra Wildeband) technology. Transmitters are strategically placed at certain locations in the urban environment. The radio waves then allow triangulation and calculation of an exact dynamic position of a receiver located in the urban canyon, the area where the E-Nails are located.

The accuracy of the position is available at any time and the network operator can use an augmented reality application to locate his network or that of other operators. The operations are reliable and the georeferencing data can be fed into a geospatial database in parallel. A progressive deployment of this service would bring gains in terms of safety, time and quality for the whole ecosystem present in the urban environment.|The project currently has a unique demonstrator located on the RICE site in Villeneuve la Garenne that can be visited. The appeal of this new service is confirmed with the first two communities to be equipped next fall in France and the United States. These first pilots will allow RICE and its partners to improve the calculation algorithms and to refine the positions of the E-Nails in service as well as their position in the public space. This feedback will help adjust the design and production of the transmitters to ensure high quality accuracy.

The interest of this service lies in the applications of E-Nails, which cannot be limited to network operators. This new service has the ambition to bring in the future a real added value around the uses linked to the autonomous vehicle sector and soft mobility, tourism and heritage but also urban planning, so many sectors with multiple challenges and issues.

Discover E-Nails in video

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJqCSpSgOo4[/embedyt]

For more information on the E-NAILS service:

Alexandre Royer - Research engineer at RICE
07 61 66 05 68 - alexandre.royer@grtgaz.com

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GRTgaz's RDI 2021 activity report is online

Climate issues, low-carbon objectives, reduction of methane emissions, the gas industry has entered the third gas revolution and is redesigning its model on a European and global scale.

For several years, RICE (Research & Innovation Center for Energy) has been accompanying this transformation and accelerating the integration of renewable gases and hydrogen into the energy mix.The 5 RD&I programs of RICE in detailsIn order to respond more effectively to the fundamental challenges of the gas chain, and of transmission in particular, GRTgaz's RD&I has been restructured in 2021 into five refocused and more readable programs.

In this report, you will find a detailed presentation by each program coordinator of the context of the achievements in 2021 and the prospects for 2030 for :

These programs are supported by exceptional testing facilities, which have been strengthened in 2021 by the inauguration of the FenHYx H2 testing platform (traction, permeation, ageing), which will complement GRTgaz's Jupiter1000 demonstrator (electrolysis and soon methanation).

Read the R&D 2021 report online

RICE hosts the first promotion of startups of the Nova by GRTgaz incubator

Within the framework of its first call for applications, a jury made up of representatives of various GRTgaz businesses has selected four start-ups and young companies which will be able to benefit from a one-year support program in the new Nova incubator. The incubation started on November 7, 2022 with the reception of these start-ups on the RICE site in Villeneuve la Garenne (92).

4 laureates with complementary and varied profiles and expertise have been selected for this first promotion:

LYNX for the "industry 4.0 and digitalization" field

The young company is working on the design and manufacture of mixed reality glasses that aim to enrich and augment the real environment of a technician with a realistic 3D model of an infrastructure. "NOVA gives us the chance to work on problems in the field, in collaboration with friendly technical operators and R&D engineers. It's also a unique opportunity to access facilities and equipment reserved/exclusive to GRTgaz's research center." Chouki Hadri, VP General Manager Lynx

LIUM for the "industrial, energy and ecological transition" field

It proposes a solution of balloons held on the ground by a cable for the surveillance of industrial sites. These balloons equipped with cameras are designed to help manufacturers better control safety, environmental risks and the risks associated with certain interventions.

"Learning that we would be joining the very first Nova class was very exciting news. Collaborating with GRTgaz will allow us to accelerate the technological and commercial development of Lium in order to accomplish our mission. Guilain Yvon, Co-founder and CEO of Lium

SOLAR FOCUS for the field "new gases and start-ups

It wishes to develop energy production without exploiting rare or fragile resources, such as the production of gas from waste by pyrolysis under solar radiation.

"Very happy to join the first promotion of the Nova incubator, with all that it represents in opportunities and possibilities for the development of Solar Focus. Eager to start the next phase of the project!" Thomas Delapierre, Solar Focus project leader

YLSSEN for the "operational performance and industrial safety" field

The electronic system developed by YLSSEN allows to know remotely and in real time, the open or closed state of industrial valves. It can be put into operation without having to modify existing equipment and without having to interrupt production or distribution operations on the industrial site.

"The YLSSEN team is aware of this opportunity and thanks GRTgaz and its NOVA team for having chosen it to be part of this first class. We are looking forward to the mutual progress that our joint work will allow. Stéphane Canet, CEO Ylssen

 

The selected start-ups now have shared workspaces in GRTgaz premises. They will also benefit from the support of its Research and Innovation Center for Energy (RICE), with access to test areas and the support of researchers to carry out internal experiments. The Nova incubator will also offer start-ups technical, methodological and entrepreneurial support, via its own innovation acceleration system (market studies, economic studies, intellectual property, business models, etc.)

The representatives of the four startups expressed their enthusiasm during the welcome day on November 7, when they were welcomed to the Villeneuve la Garenne site by Pierre Blouet, director of RICE, in the presence of Vanessa Paoli-Gagin, senator for the Aube region and rapporteur for the information mission "Excellence in research/innovation, shortage of industrial champions: look for the French mistake".

Back in pictures on this first event filmed by Maddyness :

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAoXtfu9yb8[/embedyt]

The selected start-ups will have access to shared workspaces in GRTgaz's premises from November 7. They will also benefit from the support of its Research and Innovation Center for Energy (RICE), with access to test areas and the support of researchers to carry out internal experiments. The Nova incubator will also offer start-ups technical, methodological and entrepreneurial support, via its own innovation acceleration system (market studies, economic studies, intellectual property, business models, etc.)

At the end of the jury he chaired, Pierre Blouet, Director of RICE, GRTgaz's research and development center, said: "Now that the winners have been announced, I'm eager to see what happens next, with, in the short term, the start of incubation of these four start-ups in fields that are both complementary and varied, and the opening of cross-exchanges between GRTgaz experts and these innovative entrepreneurs.

The MESSIAH Chair, at the forefront of mini-test tubes

The MESSIAH Chair, for"Mini-Tests for the In-Service Monitoring of Structures with Application to Hydrogen Transport", is a research project set up in 2020 by RICE in partnership with several organisations.

The MESSIAH Chair: a change of scale project to better map the network|A multi-actor portage providing an interesting leverage effect for its members|Two issues for RICE: the implementation of a new normative framework and its application to hydrogen research|The MESSIAH Chair, for"Mini-Tests for the In-Service Monitoring of Structures with Application to Hydrogen Transport", is a research project set up in 2020 by RICE in partnership with several organisations. Its objective is to develop an experimental protocol for testing mini-tubes, extracted in a "quasi non-destructive" manner, from metal structures in service, in order to study their mechanical properties in tension and at break.|Carrying the Chair The MESSIAH Chair is part of a project proposed by the French National Research Agency (ANR), which co-finances cooperation projects between public higher education and research institutions and industrial players, in their early development phase (feasibility and launch of a technology). Within the framework of the MESSIAH Chair, ARMINES is associated with five private companies (GRTgaz, Air Liquide, Transvalor, EDF and Mannesmann), each of which has an interest in the work carried out. The ANR, which supervises the project over a period of 4 years, finances 50% of it and the companies provide the rest of the funding, which guarantees them a more favourable research context than if they were to carry it out alone. Each industrialist has a particular interest in the project and wishes to test the protocol on mini-test tubes in response to a clearly defined problem. In the case of GRTgaz, the aim is to take advantage of these small samples taken on the system, with a view to establishing the most exhaustive possible mapping of the system in terms of mechanical properties. Moreover, the work is carried out in partnership with the teaching structure ARMINES and thus carries important stakes in terms of teaching, with the involvement of several doctoral and post-doctoral students among others. The program schedule After a feasibility study on the subject of mini-test tubes in the form of a Mines ParisTech PhD from 2018 to 2020, the industrial chair application (detailing the principles of the partnership, the project objectives, the technical challenges and technological locks to be lifted as well as the budget) was submitted to the ANR in March 2020 after 2 months of preparation. The team was auditioned by the ANR in May and the subject was selected in July. The following months were used to finalize the contract between the stakeholders, particularly on the legal aspects, for a signature of the project in October 2020. The work officially started on December 7, 2020 and is planned for four years, with six work packages identified: test protocols, development of the hydrogen loading device, performance of mechanical tests, classification and processing of data, development of simulation tools, transfer methodology and drafting of a pre-standard.|||||||||||This project responds to a need for efficiency in the knowledge of the network: today, in the context of preparing the network for hydrogen injection, it is necessary to identify the mechanical properties of steel in order to evaluate the impact of hydrogen on them. When the latter are not known, an operator could be led to take a steel sample directly from the network in operation, thus obliging him to interrupt transit and repair the section concerned, operations which entail significant costs and operational constraints. The objective of the MESSIAH Chair's work on mini-tests is therefore to validate a protocol for reliably qualifying the mechanical properties of the network from small samples that can be taken without cutting: the idea is to machine the smallest possible test specimen while taking into account the nature of the mechanical loads on the network (internal pressure, bending, tension) and the effect of scale related to the dimensions of the test specimen.|

The pyrogasification and hydrothermal gasification channels for the injection of gas into the networks are under development. Our ongoing research and development and innovation efforts are aimed at demonstrating the technological processes of these production processes (coupled or not at a methanation stage). For these two sectors, our research and development and innovation efforts focus on the technologies of production of these gases (contribution to demonstration partnerships) and on the in-depth knowledge of gas dies to ensure their safe injection and delivery into transport and distribution networks. Studies around the sector, such as life cycle analysis and the enhancement of co-products, also contribute to the development of these sectors.

|The work of the Chair meets two main challenges for RICE. First of all, the mechanical characterization of materials via mini-tests is a research subject for which no normative framework exists: if the experimental research protocol is validated and successful, the project aims to draft a recommendation or pre-standard initially concerning the implementation of the approach developed, or even in the long term the accreditation of this type of method with industrial, technical, scientific and regulatory interlocutors To this end, several seminars and communication actions will be planned throughout the project in order to get the whole industrial community to adhere to this new sampling method, which is under investigation at the time of writing (see photo of a sampling device opposite).|Furthermore, once the protocol has been validated, the methodology will be applied and used to feed the joint RICE / DT materials database, as well as the studies currently being carried out by RICE to identify the impact of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of steel.https://researchbyrice.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/20161124_102012_RichtoneHDR-003-scaled-e1616600410495.jpg|https://researchbyrice.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/GRTgaz-P19727.jpg|https://researchbyrice.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Chaire-MESSIAH-1-1-e1616599055508.jpg|https://researchbyrice.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Chaire-MESSIAH-schema.pngSENT Standard Macro Test Tube & Mini Sample Test Tube (Dimensions: 1.5 mm x 1.5 mm)||Photo of a sampling device |Methodology for characterizing a sampling device

With its dynamic studies of the reverse flow stations, RICE contributes to the development of the biomethane sector

For many years, RICE has developed its expertise in network simulation and modelling, which can be applied to various fields. Since 2017, RICE has been carrying out feasibility and sizing dynamic studies for each Distribution/Transmission reverse flow project. The method used has been gradually improved. In 2021 this method was validated thanks to the comparison between measurements on the first french reverse flow at Pontivy and simulations carried out by RICE.

An increase in the number of backhaul projects on French territory since 2019|Simulations carried out by RICE and GRDF to simulate and optimise the use of reverse flows |A successful comparative study between the dynamic simulation software and the measurements in PontivyThe biomethane sector is expanding rapidly and the development prospects are ambitious, with a target of 10% renewable gas by 2030, i.e. 30 to 40 TWh/year of biomethane injected into the networks (compared with 2.2 TWh in 2020). In this context, and as explained in the article " The rebound station: optimizing biomethane injection ", rebounds are an essential solution for maximizing biomethane injection while avoiding saturation of the distribution networks. Reverse flow projects are therefore multiplying on the territory, in order to support the development of the biomethane sector. To date, about 100 reverse flow projects are planned by 2030, of which 27 are under development and 5 are in service, the first of which was commissioned in Noyal-Pontivy in 2019. These projects will enable the ambitions of the Multiannual Energy Program to be met. Each new installation generates changes in the management of the transmission and distribution network system, and raises new issues: which settings for the reverse flow and substations will maximize the injection of biomethane while guaranteeing continuity of supply to customers? When to start the reverse flow? What will be the dynamics of the gas flow in the networks?

Map of GRTgaz's backlog

|Since 2017, feasibility studies have enabled system operators to confirm their choice of location while optimizing the settings of pressure-reducing stations (from transmission to distribution), biomethane stations and compressor stations (reverse flows). Thus, the injection of renewable and low-carbon gas is possible regardless of their production levels and the amount of consumption on the distribution network. The injection of biomethane is relatively stable throughout the year, determined by the maximum injection capacity contracted by the producers with the network operators. The simulation studies are conducted in two steps. First, a static study is carried out by GRDF with a dedicated simulation software, in order to determine the optimal location for the compressor and to define the settings of the biomethane stations. Secondly, using a dynamic simulation software, RICE simulates scenarios representing different intraday variations in consumption, representative of the actual network operation. These simulations allow to define the optimal settings of the reverse flow station, i.e. the settings that enable operations without any looping (injection of gas from the transmission network at the same time as use of the reverse flow) and without any capping of the production of the biomethane stations, while guaranteeing correct supply pressure for all customers. So far, RICE has carried out studies for 24 reverse flow projects. Lucile BRETHOME, research engineer at RICE and leader of dynamic studies on reverse flow stations, states: “The dynamic reverse flows studies are at the heart of a project involving both GRDF and GRTgaz. This is an opportunity for RICE to demonstrate its expertise in modelling and simulation of gas networks and to fully contribute to the development of renewable gases”.|Recently, a comparative study was carried out between measurements made during summer 2020 on the Pontivy reverse flow station and on the GRDF distribution network and the results of simulations made by RICE. The results are promising:   The overall operation of the compressor is well represented, both in terms of volume delivered and total operating time. The cycles of the reverse flow are also correctly predicted thanks to the precise modelling of the compressor. These results confirm the method developed by RICE for future dynamic reverse flow studies.||||||||||||

Inauguration of FenHYx, RICE's new test platform dedicated to preparing gas networks for the arrival of hydrogen

On November 23, 2021, the new R&D test facilities of the FenHYx platform located in Alfortville (94) were inaugurated in the presence of Pierre Blouet, Director of RICE, Thierry Trouvé, General Manager of GRTgaz and Marie-Eve Perru, Regional Councillor of Ile de France.

In order to accompany the development of the sector and the use of hydrogen, RICE has invested in new technical means to convert natural gas networks into hydrogen networks, grouped together in the FenHYx project. The inauguration brought together many energy players, committed institutional leaders, GRTgaz and RICE employees... to discover the on-site testing facilities and gain a better understanding of the new issues surrounding hydrogen.  
Inauguration of FenHYx speech

.........................................................................................................Top line: Marie-Eve Perru, Regional Councillor for the Ile de France region and Thierry Trouvé, Managing Director of GRTgaz Bottom line: Tanguy Manchec, Manager of the Hydrogen R&D programme at RICE and Pierre Blouet, Director of RICE

A collaborative project among the pioneers in Europe

Future Energy Network for HYdrogenand miX (FenHYx) aims to carry out research into the measurement of the impact of hydrogen on steel and gas network equipment, under conditions close to real operating conditions. " Favouring the use of existing gas networks for the transport of hydrogen is the most environmentally friendly, flexible and competitive solution", explains Tanguy Manchec, Hydrogen Manager at RICE. The result of 3 years of study and reflection, through collaborative workshops to determine the needs of the test program, the FenHYx platform is a unique place in Europe. The project is attracting a number of European operators who share the objective of converting the networks: Fluxys, the Belgian natural gas transmission infrastructure group, for example, is co-financing the tests on the characterization of steels under H2 atmosphere.    
FenHYx test facilities

Julien Estienne, responsible for FenHYx installations at RICE, presents the Integrity module to visitors with the traction machine

A constrained project that marks the beginning of a great R&D adventure around hydrogen

In addition to the delays caused by the health crisis, the project managers had to deal with supply difficulties before the platform could be built. But the teams have overcome the difficulties and the test schedule is now well back on track. The RICE teams now aim to make the project grow and plan to acquire new test facilities to accelerate research on the injection of hydrogen into the current networks and make the transformation of gas infrastructures possible, in France and on a European scale. More information about FenHYx in our article. Read the press release: in Englishand French .

Biozone: a tool for optimising the connection of biomethane units to support the development of the sector

In order to optimise the conditions for injecting biomethane into the networks, RICE has contributed to the development of a technical and economic optimisation tool: Biozone. Find out how the use of this tool contributes to the development of the sector.

Biomethane, a player in the energy transition|Biozone, a decision-making tool for biomethane|Future biomethane development scenarios studied with BiozoneGRTgaz's ambition is to be a leading player in the ecological transition to make a secure, affordable and climate-neutral energy future possible. It is thus participating in the development of the biomethane sector in order to move away from the intensive use of fossil gas as quickly as possible. The legislator is supporting this approach: the Law on the energy transition for green growth has set the objective of increasing the share of renewable gas to 10% of gas consumption in France in 2030 - compared to 1% currently. Biomethane is a 100% renewable gas produced locally by a methanization process from organic waste: agricultural, household and industrial waste, but also household waste, from the food industry, from collective catering, or even from sludge from wastewater treatment plants. This will help advance the cause of a new industry serving the "greening" of gas and the circular economy. The sharp increase in the volumes of biomethane injected into the transmission and distribution networks requires adaptations to these networks, which were historically designed to transport the gas in a unidirectional and centralized manner, from upstream to downstream. For example, when the volume of biomethane injected into a distribution network is too large to be consumed locally, a backflow facility must be installed to bring the gas up to the transmission network. In order to prepare for the gradual increase in decentralised biomethane production in the years to come, GRTgaz needs to develop a long-term vision of the necessary investments.|To address this issue, GRTgaz has developed the Biozone tool. It is a decision support tool based on Operational Research techniques such as linear programming. Following the realization in 2019 of a first "prototype" version by GRTgaz's Gas System Department, with the help of SIA Partners' EnergyLab, the further development and industrialization of the tool have been taken over by RICE, GRTgaz's R&D center, with its skills in applied mathematics and tool development. Biozone's objective is to determine the best possible connection for each biomethane production unit to the transmission or distribution network. The tool can also choose to install backflaw facility on the distribution network and compressors on the transport network when locally, the volumes of the units connected to it require it. Results are obtained in minutes to meet the operational requirements of users. Several major challenges had to be overcome during the development of the tool such as :   In order to allow a direct exploitation of the optimization results, Biozone generates several types of indicators, and displays them through a geographical representation. This allows you to easily zoom in/out on a part of the territory in order to visualize the connections proposed by the tool.    |In concrete terms, Biozone was first used to provide figures - in particular the number of returns and the associated investments - for the discussions on a medium-term horizon (5 years) concerning the implementation of the right to injection, the regulatory basis for the development of the biomethane sector. This regulatory base provides limiting technical and economic ratios, including the maximum investment cost per unit of biomethane injected into the networks. These limit ratios condition the progress of the sector: if they are too high (i.e. not very restrictive), they lead to a lot of investment that is not always justified; if they are too low (i.e. very restrictive), they slow down investment and therefore the development of biomethane. More recently, Biozone has also been used to estimate the trajectory of network investments over longer time horizons (10 to 15 years). The study was able to determine a curve of necessary investments according to the volumes of biomethane produced. This made it possible to initiate the reflections on the evolution of the right to injection for the years to come.||||||||||||