Determining the feasibility of incorporating a hydrogen recovery process into an international pipeline

Alliance Pipeline System Hydrogen Deblending and Extraction Study

Alliance Pipeline’s 3,848-kilometre (2,391-mile) system delivers rich natural gas liquids (NGLs) from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and the Williston Basin to the US Chicago area. Enbridge, who operated the pipeline at the time, wanted to determine the technical and commercial viability of a hydrogen recovery process at scale, which aligned with the objectives of Alberta's Hydrogen Roadmap. They engaged our team to conduct the first phase of a large-scale hydrogen and natural gas deblending feasibility study for this international pipeline.

We completed a qualitative evaluation of hydrogen extraction technologies, estimation of high-level capital and operating costs, preliminary equipment lists, process schematics, and potential downstream impacts on natural gas and NGL customers. We evaluated the deblending plant to process 1.6 billion standard cubic feet per day of a blended hydrogen and natural gas composition. The two blend cases we explored considered 5 percent and 20 percent volume of hydrogen in the natural gas stream.

This study was funded in part by a grant from Alberta Innovates' Hydrogen Centre of Excellence Program, which aims to advance hydrogen technology and assess its impact on Alberta's economy. Ultimately, the study helped Enbridge better understand the technical and economic cost of hydrogen, an essential part of energy transition strategies.