PR337-23115-R01 Consensus Engineering Requirements for Pipelines in Hydrogen and Hydrogen Blend Service

In June 2023, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Board of Pressure Technology Codes and Standards approved a plan to modify the location and content of hydrogen pipelines within their code. The decision was made to relocate the hydrogen pipeline sections of ASME B31.12 Hydrogen Piping and Pipelines to a new exception chapter within ASME B31.8 Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems. Along with this move, the technical content was also to be updated to reflect current best practices.

The Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) established the Emerging Fuels Institute (EFI) in 2020 to advance research and improve code language related to carbon dioxide, hydrogen, renewable natural gas, and other emerging fuels. In response to ASME’s decision, EFI developed a project to create Consensus Engineering Requirements (CERs) for hydrogen pipeline design and reuse. The work contained in this document will serve as the starting point for discussion within the ASME B31.8 Hydrogen Task Group that has the responsibility to write the new exception chapter of ASME B31.8 Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems.

The CERs are presented within this report, alongside a Nonmandatory Appendix that provides user guidance, and a rationale document that includes justification and supporting information for new requirements. The three documents are based on the latest state-of-the-art research related to pipeline transport of gaseous hydrogen and hydrogen blend service.