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Secat Heads Up DOE Contract to Reduce the Cost of Hydrogen Pipelines
06/13/2005
As America's need for energy grows, the Department of Energy (DOE) is investing in cutting edge research to employ hydrogen (an energy carrier like electricity) which can be produced from diverse, domestic sources and greatly reduce our dependence on imported oil. Pipeline transmission is the most economical way to deliver hydrogen, but one of the limiting factors is the embrittlement that occurs in the pipeline steels currently used. To address this problem, DOE has awarded a contract to develop barrier coatings to protect existing pipelines, and to develop new alloys for pipelines that can resist hydrogen embrittlement.
An exceptional team will be coordinating their efforts in this research, with Secat, Inc., a Kentucky-based metallurgical research firm with experience in managing large federal research grants, providing project management. The research team includes Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Kentucky, the University of Illinois, ASME International, Columbia Gas, and several businesses with expertise in specialized coatings and pipeline networks.
The goal of the project is to reduce the cost of hydrogen pipelines, which is currently $1.4 million per mile, by 20-40% by 2007. Prospective technologies to address pipeline embrittlement will be evaluated with respect to their cost as well as their performance capabilities.
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