Aberdeen-based pipeline technology firm, STATS Group, has completed a world-first high-pressure hydrogen pipeline isolation using its patented BISEP® tool, proving the method to be safe and leak-tight in isolating live, high-pressure hydrogen pipelines.

This latest breakthrough brings the UK’s hydrogen economy closer to reality, overcoming a key technical hurdle in the country's push to repurpose its extensive gas pipeline network for cleaner fuel.

STATS Group played a leading role in SGN’s LTS Futures project, successfully deploying its patented BISEP® tool on an 18-inch hydrogen pipeline. The BISEP® tool—a double block and bleed isolation technology widely used in the global oil and gas industry—was proven safe and 100% leak-tight for use with high-pressure hydrogen.

The success of the trial, conducted on a 30-kilometer section of pipeline from Grangemouth to Granton in Edinburgh, provides a major boost to the UK’s goal of meeting Net Zero emission targets. 

It also validates the potential for repurposing SGN's 11,600-kilometer gas transmission network from natural gas to hydrogen.

"For the first time, hot tapping and leak-tight line stopping operations have been successfully executed on a UK hydrogen pipeline," said Neil Mackay, STATS' Senior Business Development Manager. He noted the team had to develop new procedures and assurance processes to safely manage hydrogen’s unique properties.

The work involved installing a specialized DNV Grouted Tee to allow STATS to perform hot tapping and line stopping, ensuring isolation for maintenance or modification without venting the gas. 

SGN, which led the program, called the results a "blueprint" for transforming the entire Local Transmission System (LTS) into a "resilient backbone" for a net-zero energy system.

Tony Green, SGN’s chief strategy and regulation officer, praised the project as a "major milestone," demonstrating both infrastructure and workforce readiness for the hydrogen future. 

The innovation is expected to benefit every UK network operator and accelerate decarbonization across the country.