CRC Evans leads in hydrogen pipeline delivery

CRC Evans has achieved a significant milestone by completing work on a hydrogen pipeline project in Europe, showcasing the company’s growing expertise in this emerging field of pipeline welding.

Situated in Romania’s Black Sea Podisor region, the pipeline stretches over 50km and encompasses both 40-inch and 48-inch pipeline diameters. The 40-inch diameter section, with a wall thickness of 12.5mm, required 2,800 mainline welds, while the 48-inch diameter section, with a wall thickness of 14.2mm, needed 2,300 mainline welds. Originally designed for natural gas transport, the pipeline was reconfigured to be “hydrogen ready,” allowing for future adaptability and extended operational lifespan.

One of the primary challenges in hydrogen pipeline welding is weld procedure qualification, which involves testing proposed parameters to ensure weld integrity. This process is complex due to multiple variables such as current, voltage, travel speed, pipe thickness, weld position, and temperature, each influencing the final weld quality and suitability for its intended purpose.

To meet stringent quality and hardness standards, CRC Evans employed various welding processes using a single welding system. This approach, guided by welding and metallurgy experts, aimed to develop a universally applicable welding procedure adaptable to diverse environments. Moreover, given hydrogen’s tendency to permeate steel microstructures, resulting in stress corrosion and embrittlement, maintaining low steel hardness is crucial to mitigating these risks. This necessitates the expertise of technicians with deep material knowledge.

Collaborating closely with the client, CRC Evans tailored an innovative solution based on modifying existing methods, leveraging its mechanised P625 dual torch welding system. This bespoke approach ensured the welding parameters met project-specific requirements efficiently. The success of this solution underscores CRC Evans’ extensive 90-year experience in delivering pipeline solutions for energy and broader infrastructure projects.

Leon Dashwood, CRC Evans strategic growth director, highlighted the growing significance of hydrogen in global decarbonisation efforts and the essential role of infrastructure development. He expressed confidence in CRC Evans’ capability to be a key partner in the evolving hydrogen market, leveraging its expertise to support the safe and reliable delivery of this critical energy source.