TECHNICAL ASSOCIATION

OF THE EUROPEAN NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY

Smart grids in the gas sector

Jos Dehaeseleer

DG ENERGY – EUROGAS Information meeting

9 September 2011

Key issues – smart gas grid

• Supporting the objective of the EU targets

• Maximising the efficiency of overall energy usage and taking full advantage of all the opportunities that the gas grid can offer

• Empower consumers to optimize their energy use

• Enable the active participation of the end-users in the energy market

• Provide a user-oriented service

• Secure and robust energy networks are essential for the continued improvement in the operation of the European energy markets

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Production - Transport -Distribution

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Transport

Distribution

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16 bar < MOP

HP - Transport

5 < MOP ≤ 16

MP - Distribution

2 < MOP ≤ 5

MP - Distribution

0,1 < MOP ≤ 2

MP - Distribution

MOP ≤ 0,1 bar

LP - Distribution

Distribution network

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Pressure control (& metering)

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Pressure control

CEN/TC 234

European standardisation -gas distribution

– ‘Functional’ standards – CEN/TC 234 - Gas infrastructure

• WG 1 Gas installations

• WG 2 Gas supply systems up to and including 16 bar and pressure testing

• WG 5 Gas measuring

• WG 6 Gas pressure regulation

• WG 10 Service Lines

• WG 11 Gas Quality

• …

– CEN/TC 219 Cathodic protection

– CEN/TC 408 Project Committee – Biomethane

– …

– ‘Product’ standards– CEN/TC 69 Industrial valves

– CEN/TC 74 Flanges and their joints

– CEN/TC 155 Plastic piping systems and ducting systems

– CEN/TC 235 Gas pressure regulators and associated safety devices

– CEN/TC 236 Non industrial manually operated shut-off valves

– CEN/TC 237 Gas meters

– … 7

Differences between gas and electricity – Gas networks (1)

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Gas

• Networks store large amounts of energy

• e.g. 1 km of pipe Φ 250 (Φint= 263 mm)– At Patm => 55 m(n)³

» N/A

– At P = 21 mbarg => 56 m(n)³

– At P = 2,4 barg => 185 m(n)³

» ∆ = 87 m(n)³

– At P = 4 barg => 272 m(n)³

– At P = 9 barg => 544 m(n)³

» ∆ = 380 m(n)³

– At P = 16 barg => 924 m(n)³

– At P = 40 barg => 2.228 m(n)³

» ∆ = 1.086 m(n)³

– At P = 60 barg => 3.314 m(n)³

Electricity

• No storage in the network - Cannot easily be stored

Differences between gas and electricity – Gas networks (2)

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Gas

• React relatively slowly over time to changes in demand

– Vmax < 10 ≈ 20 m/s

• Pressure drop

•m³

• Gas safety issues

Electricity

• Networks require real-time responses to changes in demand

• Tariffs to manage peak demands

• Losses

• kWh

• Electricity safety issues

Differences between gas and electricity - Appliances

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Gas

• Gas appliance are mainly used to provide for basic needs (hot food and minimum comfort temperature)

Electricity

• Multiplicity of electrical appliances

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�Opportunities and benefits for smart grids are different for gas and electricity

�Smart gas grids should not be developed in isolation but should be linked to CHP, electricity, cogeneration, heat and cooling

�Gas- and/or heat or cooling systems could be used as a ‘buffer’ to reduce the peaks on the electricity network

�Smart gas grids can be developed independently of a complete roll-out of smart gas meters

However, when smart gas meters are used, they would provide opportunities to offer additional benefits and services to stakeholders including consumers

High level functionalities and services - EG4 report (*)

1. Flexible grids

2. Acceptance of non-conventional gases

3. Smart gas utilisation

4. Grid operation and safety - management of continuity of supply

==> Opportunities and products

(*) EU Commission Task Force for Smart Grids - EG4: Smart Grid aspects related to Gas

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Interaction between gas, electricity, heat and cooling

Electricity Gas

Coal

Nuclear energy

Renewable:

wind

solar

…

Natural gas

Non-conventional gases

biomethane

bio-synthetic gas

…

Carbon capture

Hydrogen (other non-

conventional gases)

Smart gas utilisation

dual fuel appliances,

fuel cells, gas fired

heat pumps, …

Gas storage

Gas power plants

Cogeneration (CHP,

mini and micro-

CHP)

Sto

rage

Other

Natural gas vehicles

Electricity,

power,

heat and cooling

Injection of non-conventional gases into natural gas grid

• Injection of biomethane, bio-SNG, coal-bed methane, hydrogen, …

• Directive 2009/73/EC

– Gases from renewable sources should be permitted to access into the gas networks as long as they meet the technical and safety standards

• Will assist in achieving the greenhouse gas reduction targets

• The technology for manufacturing biomethane is available

• European legislation/standards concerning the required quality of injected biomethane is not currently available

• Neither are the roles and responsibilities of the involved parties currently defined

• Other gases (other than biomethane) could be injected in the gas networks but there is no experience available at the moment

• Requires incentives that take account of its green house gas emission benefits to make it cost-effective

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Gas quality monitoring

• For safe utilisation and correct billing when more different non-conventional gases are injected in the network

• Gas injected into the gas network must meet predetermined quality specifications

• Needs complex and accurate measuring systems and data communication

• There is a need for harmonized European specifications

• Odorisation

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Storage

• On a seasonal basis

–Depleted reservoirs / salt cavities

– Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

• On a diurnal basis

– In low or medium pressure gas holders (above ground storage)

– In the grid itself (line pack)

• With the exception of the low pressure networks, other pressure tiers could offer short term storage capacity using line pack

• The availability of line pack will depend on the length and diameter of the pipe and the pressure range available

• Interconnection between low and high pressure

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Monitoring of flows and pressure and active flow control

• The pressure in the network could be continuously adapted as a function of the demand, taking into account both consumption and injection

• Allows the possibility to inject non-conventional gases and use the network as short term storage

• Needs a reliable communication network for monitoring the flows and pressures on the network and to adjust the set-points of the pressure regulators

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Cogeneration (CHP, mini and micro CHP)

• Reliable, energy efficient and cost efficient provision of heat and electricity

• Foster greater consumption awareness taking advantage of smart electricity metering systems and improved customer information

• Allows consumers to modify their behaviour according to price, load signals and related information

• In some configurations, offers solutions to allow grid users and suppliers to participate in an ancillary services market to enhance network operation

Large Industrial and commercial cogeneration

Mini- or micro CHP (1MW -1kW)

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NGV (Natural Gas Vehicles)

• Enables consumers to choose lower-carbon fuel for motor vehicles of all types

• This technology is already on the market

• Natural gas/biomethane

• No particular influence on the gas network

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Dual fuel appliances

• Enables the end-users to participate actively in the energy market and to choose the most efficient energy

• The needed technology is possible but not yet common in the European market

• No particular influence on the gas network

• Examples

– Gas condensing boiler plus ground/air source electric heat pump

– Gas condensing boiler plus electric storage heaters

– Utilisation of combined Heat and Power

– …

Could also operate in combination with additional renewable devices such as solar thermal and solar photovoltaic

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Grid operation

• Gas systems are located in an increasingly complex environment with increased safety consequences when its integrity is compromised.

�Smart (self) monitoring of the system could be a cost effective solution

�The introduction of new techniques of more ‘active’ control of the distribution system (smart tools) would lead to

– a more efficient network and

– could also improve the integrity of this network

– e.g. in the field of pressure regulation, traceability, internal pipe inspection, odorisation, and cathodic protection

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Data safety, data handling and data protection

For smart gas grids,

data exchange can be treated the same as for electricity

but it should be noted that for apparatus in the gas networks, the required electrical power is normally provided by batteries and not the by mains power

Care should be taken to comply with all safety issues relating to the presence of gas

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Standardisation

• Existing mandates and on-going standardisation work – Mandate M/475 “biomethane”

– Mandate M/400 “gas quality”

– Mandate M/441 “smart meters”

– Mandate M/490 “ smart electricity grids”

– …

• Additional research and/or standardisation work to be considered

– Technical and safety requirements for pressure regulating and metering stations injecting biomethane and/or other non-conventional gases in the gas networks

– Additional requirements of gas quality for future technologies such as small turbines, storage or fuel cells

– Low cost and low maintenance gas quality measuring instruments

– Smart pressure regulators/flow controllers

–…

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Further recommendations

• Define the responsibilities for gas quality and composition at a European level

• Promote smart gas utilisation and gas appliances which accept a wider range of gas compositions

• Promote NGVs, especially in relation to public transport and commercial / goods vehicles

• Promote cooling with gas, based on absorption

• Stimulate projects on smart gas grids at European level (EU FP7/8)

• Stimulate development of bio-synthetic natural gas pilot plants

• Promote biomethane injection generally, including by the provision of subsidies and the setting of European targets, as a route to decarbonising gas supplies

• Develop a regulatory framework to provide incentives for smart grids deployment

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Conclusions

• The use and the concept of smart gas grids are very different from smart electricity grids

• Gas and smart gas grids can play an important role in achieving European targets in relation to energy

• By promoting the new functionalities, opportunities and products, realisation of the concept of smart gas grids will enable

the optimisation of both overall energy efficiency and overallgrid(s) efficiency

• Further development will be required to ensure that the options are fully exploited

This will require the cooperation of all stakeholders and the development of suitable market mechanisms

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