Sphere No.45 (Sep 2018)

>> SPHERE #45 2018 13 Flaring and fugitives: Husky Energy efficiency Like its British and Australian counterparts in the Group, Husky Energy Inc is a major player which is expected to contribute to national efforts to meet Paris Agreement targets on climate change. The production of oil and gas necessarily involves the generation and release of various greenhouse gases (GHG) and air pollution. However, Husky is deploying new technology to reduce its energy intensity in production. For example, Husky is undertaking new means to reduce both gas flaring and gas venting in its operations. Starting in 2014, Husky has installed over 100 compressors across the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Rather than continuously burning-off gas by-products of oil extraction or releasing it into the atmosphere, the gas can be captured and used for energy generation on-site or sold as fuel. Compressors on additional sites are planned for this year. FINDING FUGITIVES Leakage is also an issue in the industry and Husky is vigilant in tracking down fugitive emissions. The spectacularly named Fugitive Emission Management Program hunts down errant equipment that is letting GHGs and volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. Infrared cameras, vapour analysers and ultrasound are among the tools gas detectives use to track down fugitives. All these efforts are monitored and reported as part of the Greenhouse Gas Management Framework in dialogue with national and provincial governments in a collaborative effort to contribute to Canada’s Paris Agreement commitments. Vapour analysers and infrared cameras – just a few of the tools used for the downstream Fugitive Emission Management Program. achieve its Ofgem-directed emission reduction targets. However, the most ambitious target of all may be to replace all – 100% – of Britain’s methane gas supply with hydrogen. The H21 project aims to deliver the knowledge needed to convert gas heating in the UK to 100% hydrogen. Of the Ofgem Network Innovation Competition (NIC) funds, £9 million are supporting NGN’s investigation into this important question, with another £1.3 million contributed by the UK gas networks. The challenges are not inconsiderable. Apart from cost and environmental factors, safety has to be NGN’s number one concern. The H21 NIC project will supply all the quantified safety-based evidence required for delivery of a 100% hydrogen gas network. Its delivery is being timed to coincide with the UK government’s own £25 million Hy4Heat programme, which is exploring hydrogen’s use downstream of H21: A PARADIGM SHIFT Readers interested in learning more about the legal, technical and policy challenges in going 100% hydrogen can read the H21 report here: the meter – in heating for buildings. Both programmes are expected to supply all the critical evidence required to progress towards a government policy decision on hydrogen in 2021. Integrative thinking underlies much of the momentum behind the future of gas distribution networks. The H21 project is a collaborative one, involving another CKI firm, Wales & West Utilities, which exemplifies this kind of holistic thinking as it looks to the future. COLLABORATION NATION Hydrogen isn’t the only part of the story. Wales & West Utilities has a slew of projects it is undertaking with academic partners like Imperial College London and City, University of London, as well as multiple energy partners. One of its projects, the Freedom project, is investigating innovative in-home technologies that make use of a multi-supply heating system. Domestic smart-controlled hybrid heating systems could make use of a gas boiler and an air source heat pump in tandem. When peak demand is being experienced by the electricity network, the in-home system could switch to gas heating. Energy efficiency realised from using