Sustainable automated pipeline construction development for MASIP

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Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK

£1,713,140

Sept. 30, 2020

June 30, 2021

SUSTAINABLE PIPELINE SYSTEMS LTD is developing game changing new technology for the installation of pipeline infrastructure that incorporates distributed sensors in a spiral configuration during manufacture of the pipe to provide an intrinsically intelligent pipe (iPIPE). An automated mobile manufacturing system (MASIP) offers to halve total installed pipeline cost, more than halve the environmental impact and greatly improve the logistics of pipeline installation.

Pipelines constructed in this way have a major role to play to transport (and store) vast quantities of energy (in gas or liquid form) over large distances, delivering the underlying infrastructure for net zero HGV, Train as well as general gas transmission use. By using these at higher pressures with Hydrogen, a lower carbon intensity can be achieved in the energy mix. Our spiral wound optical fibre innovation introduces the prospect of real time continuous monitoring to provide a digital platform for the pipeline network of the future.

The project addresses a huge global market for onshore pipelines which market research has estimated to exceed $50bn by 2025\. It can be argued that the conventional manual pipeline construction and integrity monitoring processes are no longer sustainable. The availability of sustainable pipeline construction and monitoring technology will be a critical enabling factor in the introduction of hydrogen gas as an energy carrier for heating and industrial power. Without widespread hydrogen fuel then heavy transport and industrial processes as well as domestic heating are all unlikely to be able to meet net zero climate regulations even by 2050\. This is recognised in a number of government targets and industry objectives (including National Grid's recently published Future Energy Scenarios 2020) which aim to develop a number of hydrogen projects over the next few years.

This offers to be genuinely disruptive technology that will develop its own supply chain in the UK creating many highly skilled jobs for the future. The project also offers large scale opportunities in the international market place.

This project will focus on the core technical and manufacturing innovations needed to be able to automate and scale up the mobile manufacturing process