Welcome to the 2nd issue of the Pipeline Technology Journal in 2024 which is addressing aspects of the climate emergency and the role the pipeline industry can play. As an integral part of the advancing global energy transition, it is expected to supply cleaner, more sustainable yet affordable energy in the near future. An emphasis on decarbonizing the existing gas infrastructure will lead to greater penetration of greener fuels, ultimately produced from renewable energy. The pipeline industry has safely managed to transport these emerging fuels for decades. While this does constitute a solid foundation, there is a common understanding that emerging fuels pipelines of the future, transporting energy rather than feedstock, will be operated differently from their present-day equivalents, thus needing dedicated assessment. Existing gaps have been carefully identified and are addressed by ongoing research.

As resources are limited, it is more important than ever to bundle the existing capacity to achieve reliable results in the shortest possible time. Collaboration in research groups can be an effective measure to achieve this goal. The European Pipeline Research Group EPRG is working on pipeline safety for more than 40 years. It was founded to address the global challenges related to the then emerging gas pipeline industry – an analogy to the situation the industry is in today. As in the days of the foundation of EPRG, it faces new challenges which need to be mastered globally and at a speed that necessitates collaboration on a wider scale. EPRG has responded to this situation by building a network of companies and international partnerships. The value of the group is reflected by the growth in membership it has experienced in the last years, clearly also driven by the focus it gives emerging fuels research. The current programme on hydrogen and CO2 have been tailored to the needs of the wider industry, to address and close the most important gaps. This will contribute to ensure economical operation of the new pipelines at the highest levels of safety.

Sincerely,
Marion Erdelen-Peppler
President
European Pipeline Research Group - EPRG