The 2024 biennial IPCE (International Pipeline Conference & Expo) brought emerging pipeline industry trends and research to the forefront. The pipeline industry is diligently adapting its standards to meet the needs of a changing energy landscape. It was clear from the opening remarks and presentations throughout the conference that this industry holds safety as a core value, and the industry research supports this. As a clean energy infrastructure project developer who works closely with industry partners such as pipeline companies, Kanin Energy strives to be aware of emerging trends and new research in this space. Pipeline industry research, codes, and standards are advancing to support the safety and reliability of energy transition projects. Topics ranged from CO2 and hydrogen pipelines to risk and reliability.
Technical Tracks
The industry research papers and their associated talks were organized into Technical Tracks:
1. Pipeline Safety Management Systems
2. Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environment
3. Pipeline and Facilities Integrity
4. Operations, Monitoring and Maintenance
5. Materials and Joining
6. Geohazard Management and Strain-Based Design and Assessment
7. Risk and Reliability
8. Offshore, Upstream, and Production Pipelines
9. Emerging Fuels and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Emerging Fuels and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The Emerging Fuels and Greenhouse Gas Emissions track (Track 9) contained papers on hydrogen storage and transport, how the steel properties, such as fracture toughness and cracking, behave under hydrogen and CO2 environments, and probabilistic reliability models for hydrogen lines. It also addressed the regulatory, standards, and technical implications of repurposing existing infrastructure for pure and blended hydrogen service. There were also talks on the behaviour of two-phase CO2 flow in pipelines, considerations for converting or repurposing existing pipelines to CO2 or hydrogen service, greenhouse gas reduction initiatives at natural gas compressor stations, ammonia pipeline safety, and more. The papers and presentations were developed by gas transmission operators, independent expert consultants, pipeline inspection tool manufacturers, and research institutes worldwide.
Kanin works with industry partners to provide technical, project development, finance, and electricity market expertise and insights as they relate to the development of these pipeline projects. The IPCE conference brought to the forefront the latest research in this industry related to developing clean energy projects.
Risk and Reliability
Track 7, pipeline Risk and Reliability, contained concepts and practices with a focus on ensuring the safe and efficient operation of all sorts of pipelines and related infrastructure. It involves threat identification, assessment, and mitigation. Pipeline reliability addresses the infrastructure’s ability to perform its intended function over time and looks at maintenance intervals, monitoring systems, and design standards. Pipeline risk and reliability evaluate the probability of failure of systems and associated consequences, such as life safety and economic and environmental impacts. This subject uses techniques such as fault trees and Monte Carlo simulations to estimate these probabilities and consequences. These analyses and models can be used to evaluate overall risk and support decision-making to minimize safety and environmental impacts of pipelines and their associated infrastructure. The IPCE conference papers covered various risk and reliability techniques. This track also contained several papers that addressed the use of machine learning in this area of research.
The risk and reliability of these projects themselves and the existing infrastructure they attach to are of paramount importance to safety and environmental impact. Kanin project managers and engineers work diligently with industry project partners to perform thorough HAZOP workshops for our projects. The Kanin evaluations team screens technology vendors for their reliability. The Organic Rankine Cycle that Kanin utilizes for some projects contains a closed-loop system with a working fluid, which is an example of how Kanin evaluates available safety features to eliminate any environmental impact of this fluid as much as possible or drastically reduce any risk potential, such as environmental spills.
Kanin works with industry partners to provide technical, project development, finance, and electricity market expertise and insights as they relate to the development of these pipeline projects. The IPCE conference brought to the forefront the latest research in this industry related to developing clean energy projects.
Conclusion
The IPCE brought the latest research, innovation, and collaboration to the forefront in advancing pipeline safety, reliability, and environmental stewardship. For Kanin, participation in this event reinforces the company’s commitment to leveraging emerging trends and insights to drive and support the clean energy transition. Technical tacks like “Emerging Fuels and Greenhouse Gas Emissions” and “Risk and Reliability” showcased novel approaches to addressing critical challenges in pipeline operations, from hydrogen and CO2 transport to machine learning applications in risk and reliability.
As a leader in industrial decarbonization, Kanin Energy remains focused on aligning its projects with industry best practices, prioritizing safety, and minimizing environmental impact. The insights gained at IPCE inform Kanin’s ongoing efforts to develop sustainable, reliable clean energy solutions, reinforcing the company’s position as a knowledgeable partner in the clean energy infrastructure space. The conference highlighted the pipeline industry’s commitment and efforts to innovate for a safe and clean energy future.
About the Author
This blog post was written by Rebecca van Hoeve. Kanin Energy is a clean energy developer that helps heavy industry decarbonize their operations. If you have questions about this post or Kanin Energy, contact us at hello@kaninenergy.com.
