The LTS Futures live trial proved that the same infrastructure which delivers energy to millions of households and businesses today can also play a bigger role in cutting carbon emissions in the future, marking a major milestone in the journey to net zero.

The project focused on the UK’s high-pressure Local Transmission System (LTS) – an 11,600km pipeline network that brings gas from the national system to homes, businesses and industries in local communities. It aimed to answer a key question – can the same techniques that are used to maintain and operate natural gas networks today, be used on live hydrogen pipelines in the future?

In a UK first, a representative 30km stretch of the LTS pipeline, which runs between Granton near Edinburgh and Grangemouth, was safely repurposed to carry hydrogen.

LTS Futures will create a blueprint for repurposing the entire LTS to hydrogen. This could help create regional hydrogen hubs, support industrial clusters, and potentially provide a pathway for a wider transition to low-carbon hydrogen. As a critical part of the UK’s gas infrastructure, the successful conversion of the LTS to hydrogen would mean a low-disruption, resilient backbone for a net zero energy system.

The SGN specialist team successfully completed important engineering tasks, proving they can be performed on high-pressure pipelines transporting hydrogen. These operational tasks included:

• Hot works – welding and drilling into the live pipeline to create a new connection.
• Flow stopping – isolating the flow of hydrogen in the pipe.

These are both key activities for safely operating and maintaining gas pipelines, and it is the first time these techniques have been undertaken in a live trial on a hydrogen pipeline in Great Britain.

Tony Green, chief strategy and regulation officer, said: “This landmark project is a major milestone for SGN and the wider energy sector, showing that the UK’s gas infrastructure can be repurposed for a net zero future. It demonstrates both infrastructure and workforce readiness for hydrogen, with our skilled engineers gaining vital experience through the live trial. Collaboration has been crucial, and working closely with INEOS and other partners has turned a complex concept into a success.

“The gas network remains vital, meeting 40% of primary energy demand and powering key industries. We are already on the journey towards decarbonised gas by increasing the amount of green gas, such as biomethane, in the network. Hydrogen presents a further opportunity to deliver low-carbon energy solutions, and this project is an important step in demonstrating that the LTS network can support hydrogen playing a key role in the UK’s future energy mix.”

Colin Pritchard, INEOS Grangemouth sustainability director, said: “This project is an important step towards reducing carbon emissions from homes and industry and we were pleased to be able to play our part in its success. INEOS-sourced hydrogen from our existing processing plant was delivered to SGN to enable the project to take place. We recognise that hydrogen has the potential to revolutionise the way we generate and use energy, underpinning the vital manufacturing sector, as we move towards a low carbon future.”