Challenges - Research and Innovative Technology Administration ...

Federal Progress to Date
Table 3.1 provides additional information on the technical aspects of progress to date.
There are many private and public sector interests working to facilitate the nation’s transition to a hydrogen
fueled economy. Within the Federal Government, the lead agency is the Department of Energy.
The Departments of Transportation (DOT) and Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) also serve as key contributors in this Federal initiative.
DOT Re s e a r c h a n d Ac h i e v e m e n t s
In FY 2009, the Department of Transportation conducted hydrogen research, worked to develop the necessary
safety codes and standards including emergency response training, and undertook other activities
to better understand the impacts of hydrogen-fueled vehicles. The most active of these were the Research
& Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA).
RITA
RITA was appropriated $0.5M in FY 2009 for hydrogen research focused on creating the Federal and
international standards needed to ensure the safe transport of hydrogen and effective response by the police
and other emergency workers where this fuel is being used. The bulk of these funds supported safety
codes and standards work. They were used to develop training materials for emergency responders and
training police and firefighters.
PHMSA
Pipeline Safety Office
PHMSA is the primary Federal regulatory agency responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable and environmentally
sound transportation of energy products by pipeline including hydrogen. PHMSA’s Pipeline
Safety Office has been regulating pure hydrogen gas pipelines since 1970 via 49 CFR Part 192. There
are approximately 700 miles of DOT-regulated hydrogen transmission pipeline. Hydrogen pipelines were
included as part of the integrity management requirements in 2003 to bolster the awareness of threats to
safety and the continuity of service for these lines.
Partnerships between PHMSA’s Pipeline Safety Office, pipeline industry operators and partners, other
Federal and State agencies and the emergency first responder community are rapidly addressing infrastructure
challenges and removing the technical and regulatory barriers for transportation of some alternative
fuels. These initiatives are critical for enabling alternative fuel usage to grow nationwide and reach
government production targets.
The Office works to ensure that hydrogen is transported safely, even though its hydrogen-related expenditures,
particularly for research and development (R&D), are relatively modest compared to other organizations,
both government and private. Given that PHMSA is responsible for ensuring pipeline safety, its
work is likely to be a key factor in the successful and timely commercialization of hydrogen as an energy
carrier. The results of R&D funded by others will provide most of the inputs for establishing the codes and
standards used for these regulations.
As hydrogen moves from concept to reality and the public depends on hydrogen availability to meet
significant power and/or transportation energy demands, the ability to safely and reliably transport and
store larger quantities will become increasingly important. Currently, existing hydrogen pipelines mostly
serve industrial demand and hydrogen is transported at constant, relatively low pressure. Confidence in
the design, materials of construction, and performance of hydrogen pipelines should remain consistent
regardless of the number of miles of pipeline. Given the public’s stake in the uninterrupted movement of
Challenges of Building a Hydrogen Infrastructure 31