VAM® 21’s Successful Qualification for Hydrogen Storage Wells

Developing suitable qualification protocols to ensure the integrity and reliability of hydrogen infrastructures is key for the success of this new industry–and Vallourec is up to the task. The first full-scale qualification testing has been successfully performed on VAM® 21, our most advanced connection, validating its hydrogen-tightness capability and its suitability for hydrogen storage operations. This important milestone sets a reference in the industry, allowing our customers to safely deploy their hydrogen projects.

Hydrogen storage is arising as a new relevant technology to store energy. As with any new technology, it comes with new challenges related to infrastructure integrity and with the need to have adapted qualification methodologies. In the absence of an industry standard, Vallourec is proposing to its customers a fit-for-purpose connection qualification protocol for hydrogen projects.

Existing connection qualification standards for the OCTG industry (ISO 13679/ API 5C5) have been found to be not fully relevant to validate connections for hydrogen storage applications. For instance, due to the size of the hydrogen molecule, it is more prone to leakage than other gases already used in connection testing. This means that a specific leakage assessment is also necessary along with suitable testing sequences.

A team of Vallourec experts worked to develop the testing methods and associated means to carry out a sequence of tests on the VAM® 21 connection to test its sealability with 100% hydrogen gas mixture. The outcome of these tests showed that VAM® 21 presented zero leaks proving its tight sealability to hydrogen.

The results and methodology from these hydrogen storage qualification tests will be presented at Vallourec’s booth at the upcoming Carbon Capture and Hydrogen Technology Conference & Expo in Bremen, Germany on October 20th and 21st. They will also be presented in our next webcast on solutions for hydrogen projects on November 16th. Be sure to stay tuned to register for the webcast and to find out about the progress made.