Odourisation of CO2 pipelines in the UK: Historical and current impacts of smell during gas transport

Abstract

a b s t r a c tCommercial scale Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) will require CO 2 to be transported from industrial point sources to storage sites, potentially over distances of hundreds of kilometres. One of the most efficient means of transporting fluids over large distances is via pipeline. Pipeline leaks can be problematic, especially when transporting colourless and odourless gases such as natural gas and CO 2 . One of the current methods of risk mitigation for natural gas transport is odourisation. The aim of this study is to determine why odourising has been suggested for CO 2 pipeline transport and what benefit it would add. This article reviews the history of gas odourisation during pipeline transportation. It also discusses the existing practices with respect to odourant use for CO 2 and natural gas transport in pipelines. Based on experience from natural gas, it is concluded that high pressure pipelines of CO 2 through sparsely populated areas could have odourant added, but will gain little safety benefit. However, adding odourant to CO 2 gas phase pipes could aid detection of leaks as well as improve public assurance and should be considered in more detail.

Olfactory appraisal of odorants for 100% hydrogen networks

“…One of the requirements that hydrogen would have to meet in order to be widely used in gas distribution networks providing gas to homes and cities is to be odorised (Dodds & Demoullin, 2013;Puri, 2006). Odorants have been used in natural gas for over a century providing an early warning system enabling leaks to be identified and managed and made safe before flammable levels are reached (Kilgallon, Gilfillan, Haszeldine, & McDermott, 2015). Proposals to odorise gas was first suggest by R. Von Quaglio in Germany, during the 1880's, yet it was only in 1918 that Germany began odirising gas on a small scale, followed by the United States of America (Amirbekyan, 2013;Kilgallon, Gilfillan, Haszeldine, & McDermott, 2015).…”

Chromatographic Examinations in the Gas Network Odourised by Tetrahydrothiophene

“…Many researchers wrote about assessing of risk associated with CO 2 and natural gas pipelines [1,[35][36][37][38]. However, when addressing pipelines risk issues, very important is public perception [39].…”

“…In in other cases, the gas developed different smell (for example beetroot odour) while retained only some of the chemical components. So, odourisation system had 'worked' in the local distribution network, but was imperfectly understood [1].…”

“…Natural gas is the fuel obtained from the earth's crust. The natural gas network consists of different pipelines witch have different conditions as well as goals [1]. The transmission line refers to a pipeline that transports gas from a collection line, usually under high pressure.…”

“…Typically, the pipeline can carry gas at a speed of 11 m · s -1 at long distances. Distribution pipeline refers to a low pressure system that delivers gas to end users via local pipelines [1]. The majority of gas compounds is saturated hydrocarbons mix with odourless methane with is 90 % volume of gas.…”