Most existing hydrogen pipelines and piping systems are associated with refineries and gas or chemical production plants, which are subjected to extremely high levels of safety protection and hazard control. There are also a few cross-country hydrogen pipelines in operation across the UK. 

Hydrogen pipelines have specific challenges that must be considered during the early design stages. For safety, established guidance calls for the use of conventional and well-established materials, as well as conventional and precautionary pipe designs.  

However, fast-developing demands for hydrogen will soon require higher pressures and volumes, with potentially longer cross-country pipelines, which create new challenges. Some experts have also suggested using existing oil and gas pipelines to distribute hydrogen instead. This idea comes with its own issues, including weakened structural integrity, stress and pressure limitations, material fatigue, pressure cycling, and hydrogen embrittlement (HE). 

To further explore the possibility of using existing oil and gas pipelines to safely transport hydrogen, George E. Varelis, chief advanced analysis engineer for Worley, recently investigated the differences in design and performance requirements between conventional oil and gas pipelines and hydrogen pipelines.