North Sea pipelines NOGAT and Noordgastransport first to receive Certificate of Fitness for transporting green hydrogen at sea

Groningen, October 6th 2022 – Today, Noordgastransport (NGT) and NOGAT became the first pipeline owners to receive the Certificate of Fitness for the transport of green hydrogen through their existing pipelines in the North Sea. The certificate was issued by Bureau Veritas Inspection & Certification, that conducted the survey, in accordance with NEN3656.

Ron Hagen, director NGT: "We are very pleased with this certification. This shows that our NGT pipeline is suitable for the transport of up to 100% pure green hydrogen. This means that our pipeline, which runs from the UK border to Uithuizen, is already ready for the future. Now we are still transporting natural gas, but soon we will be transporting green hydrogen. The capacity of these pipelines, approximately 12-14 gigawatts, will therefore allow us to move faster to large-scale green hydrogen production in the North Sea". 

Hans Janssen, director at NOGAT, the pipeline that runs from Scandinavia, Danish and German waters to Den Helder: "This is good news for NOGAT and, more importantly, for the energy transition. By making use of existing infrastructure, we are able to make the transition to green hydrogen in the North Sea more swiftly. This can be pure hydrogen, but also a temporary mix of natural gas and green hydrogen. Both are molecules and we need both. Besides the fact that re-use is faster because it is already there, it is also cheaper. Moreover, there is no need to create landfall through vulnerable coastal areas or the Wadden Sea. The impact of re-use therefore has a much lower impact on the environment, nature and ecology than building a new pipeline."

"We are very excited about the contribution we can make in this project. As an independent party, Veritas has reviewed a previously conducted study, which was related to the suitability of pipelines as a means of transport of green hydrogen. This is completely in line with our role as a TIC - a Testing, Inspection & Certification service provider - and with our expertise in the field of hydrogen implementations," said Robert de Lange, Operations Director Industry & IVS Benelux of Bureau Veritas. "Our assessment and subsequent certification justify the confidence NGT and NOGAT as well as the government and other stakeholders, can have that these pipelines fully meet the 'fit for purpose' claim".

In 2018, DNV investigated the robustness of the pipelines' steel, which showed that the steel is suitable and safe for hydrogen transportation. The pipelines are regularly inspected internally and externally to ensure their integrity. A major inspection is conducted every five years. The pipelines are supervised by the State Supervision of Mines.  This Certificate of Appropriateness is valid until 2062. 

In the picture (from left to right): Hans Janssen (Managing Director NOGAT), Anton Janssens (Global Key Account Director Renewables BUREAU VERITAS) and Ron Hagen (Managing Director Noordgastransport).

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Download image 'Hydrogen infrastructure North Sea'

Download image 'Certificate of Fitness'

Media contacts (not for publication)
NGT:         Kees Mark: kees.mark@noordgastransport.nl | 06-51052391
NOGAT:    Hans Janssen: hans.janssen@neptuneenergy.com | 06-39780018

About NGT B.V.
NGT B.V. owns and operates a pipeline infrastructure in the North Sea of approximately 500 kilometers. For almost 50 years, NGT has been bringing about 30% of the natural gas produced in the Dutch North Sea ashore. After gas treatment at its plant in Uithuizen, NGT delivers the gas to the national gas transmission grid. This releases so-called natural gas condensate, a substance similar to gasoline. 

In the future, NGT plans to use its offshore infrastructure to enable large-scale green hydrogen production and to accelerate the energy transition. The existing infrastructure can be re-used and transformed into an integrated offshore hydrogen backbone. NGT will continue to bring energy ashore. - www.noordgastransport.nl

About NOGAT B.V.
NOGAT B.V. (Northern Offshore Gas Transport) has been transporting natural gas from various locations in the Dutch sector of the North Sea, via its own subsea pipeline system, to the onshore gas treatment station in Den Helder since 1992.

The pipeline system runs from production platform F3-FB in block F3 via a 24" pipeline to platform L2-FA in block L2 block. From there, the natural gas is further transported via a 36" pipeline to the gas treatment station in Den Helder, where the gas is brought to specification.
The pipeline system on the Danish continental shelf is connected to the NOGAT pipeline via the Tyra West - F3 pipeline. This 100-kilometer subsea natural gas pipeline connects the Danish continental shelf with the Dutch continental shelf, facilitating the export of Danish gas to northwestern Europe.

The pipeline system on the German continental shelf is also connected to the NOGAT pipeline system through the A6-F3 connection. This 20” subsea pipeline has a total length of 118 kilometers. – www.nogat.nl 

About Bureau Veritas B.V.
Bureau Veritas is a versatile business partner in the field of business services related to quality, risk management, health & safety, environment, corporate social responsibility and - from the perspective of the energy transition - renewable energy, hydrogen and CO₂ reduction.
Bureau Veritas is a leading global provider of TIC services: Testing, Inspection and Certification. Our services are focused on helping our clients to improve their performance. The assessment of the compliance of assets, products and processes with specifications and requirements of clients, national and international standards and legislation, is crucial in order to achieve this. In addition, Bureau Veritas is active in the field of independent risk assessments, operational-technical advice, inventory and assessments of compliance, monitoring, testing and inspections, certifications and training.

Against the background of the energy transition, Veritas is active throughout the world in the field of hydrogen production, storage, transport, distribution and consumption. From the perspective of safety, reliability and an environmentally friendly implementation, Veritas offers a wide range of services. The services we offer in relation to hydrogen, include risk inventories and assessments (through hazard studies), as well as compliance assessments against (inter)national legislation and regulations (such as ATEX and PED). It also includes supplier assessments (through supplier audits), as well as performance assessments aimed at improving the performance and efficiency of production facilities and installations.

Founded in Antwerp in 1828, Bureau Veritas employs more than 78,000 people worldwide and operates in more than 140 countries through an extensive network of 1,600 offices and laboratories. In the Netherlands and Belgium we operate from our offices in Rotterdam and the Botlek, Amersfoort and Antwerp. 

For more information, please visit:  www.benelux.bureauveritas.com.