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Dutch energy distributor Alliander asked Kiwa to research and visualize the combustion of hydrogen at low concentrations. Kiwa developed a special test box and recording. The video shows that at low concentrations, the probability of ignition of hydrogen is lower compared with natural gas.

As an authority in energy and water distribution, Kiwa has been involved in testing and certifying materials used in gas, water and other pipeline systems for years. Kiwa's material experts have accumulated a wealth of experience, utilized in residual lifetime and failure assessments, resulting in a well-equipped material research laboratory that serves the entire energy and water sector.

This month marks the start of the third phase of the public-private hydrogen research program HyDelta. HyDelta 3 focuses on the economic and technical integration of hydrogen gas into the national gas transportation and distribution system. As part of the HyDelta consortium, Kiwa is taking on a significant number of work packages within HyDelta 3.

Hydrogen (H2) plays an important role in the energy transition. Currently, hydrogen is mostly applied in industry, mobility and the built environment. In this infographic Kiwa's hydrogen experts zoom in on these three applications. Discover the role of hydrogen as an energy source, as an energy carrier, for vehicles and for decarbonising the natural gas grid.

Both Japan and the Netherlands have a strong interest in hydrogen as a clean energy source and are working on its development and implementation. What are the strengths of both countries? Kiwa researched this for Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO). This resulted in the action plan 'Towards reducing hydrogen supply chain costs', which you can download below.

To prevent further global warming and combat climate change, worldwide effort is being put into low-carbon, affordable and reliable energy solutions. Hydrogen can meet the energy and raw material needs of industry, the built environment and the transport sector, sectors that are difficult to decarbonize. However, depending on the application, hydrogen must meet certain quality requirements.

In natural gas distribution, odorization contributes to a high level of safety and this will be no different for hydrogen distribution. In this whitepaper Kiwa’s expert odorization Erik Polman takes a closer look at the odorization of hydrogen. What exactly is an odorant? What types of odorants are there? And how do we know whether a certain odorant is sufficient? The paper outlines what experience has already been gained in determining an odorant for hydrogen and also discusses the challenges that remain.

Zero-emission transportation, greater flexibility of the electricity grid and cleaner industrial processes are all necessary to realise energy transition. Hydrogen, thanks to its characteristics, contributes significantly to the achievement of this ambitious goal. Discover the flammability limits in air, molecular mass, thermal conductivity, heating values and the other important properties of hydrogen in a clear infographic.

Autumn 2022 Kiwa has started two new projects in Portugal for two Portuguese gas district system operators: H2REN for REN Portgás and Retrofit for Floene. In commission of these two operators, Kiwa will assess the suitability of their gas distribution networks for hydrogen.

Recently Kiwa has been announced as a finalist for the Hydrogen Awards of 2023, where businesses are highlighted for their contribution to the hydrogen industry. The commissioning of our new hydrogen production plant has played a major role in the nomination.

Hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources can make an important contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. When hydrogen gas is to be transported through the existing gas pipelines, the safety level has to be at least the same as for the transportation of natural gas. This means that important safety questions need to be answered, for example when it comes to the leak tightness of pipes and components that are used with hydrogen gas.

In the coming year, Kiwa will sponsor Forze Hydrogen Racing, the student team that specializes in racing on hydrogen. Kiwa not only supports Forze financially, but also contributes in the form of advice and validation of hydrogen systems. Forze Hydrogen Racing has been developing hydrogen racing cars since 2007 and wants to promote hydrogen as the fuel of the future in the automotive sector.

Kiwa has recently opened a new hydrogen production plant in Cheltenham. The plant and technology demonstration site is linked to Kiwa’s new test labs by the UK’s first low pressure hydrogen distribution pipeline, operated under the Gas Act 1986. The ability to connect to a continuous flow of odourised hydrogen will be invaluable to manufacturers seeking to understand the performance and longevity of their hydrogen appliances.

HyDelta, the hydrogen research platform in which Kiwa participates with several other hydrogen pioneers, presented an interim report of the program to Minister Jetten for Climate and Energy on Thursday 6 October 2022 during the Wind Meets Gas symposium in Groningen. The report describes the results of 37 studies into the large-scale application of hydrogen in the transport sector and the distribution of hydrogen gas in existing infrastructure.

In 2018, the Dutch government decided to strive for a fossil-free energy supply by 2050 at the latest. Following that purpose and because of all the problems surrounding gas extraction in the province of Groningen, the Netherlands was supposed to get rid of gas as quickly as possible. What is the current state of that electrification decision? Has the role of gas in the energy mix completely been played out? Kiwa conducted research and published the results in the report “How the Dutch all-electric ambition was caught up by reality”.

Kiwa’s Sjoerd Delnooz, Harald Ophoff, Mariël Hout and Sander Lueb recently visited the headquarters of Gaz Réseau Distribution France (GRDF) in Paris. Like Liander, Stedin and Enexis in the Netherlands, GRDF is responsible for the distribution of natural gas in France. Because France also considers hydrogen to be an important source of renewable energy, Kiwa showed about seventy GRDF employees the main differences between hydrogen and natural gas with the help of the Hydrogen Table.