LTS Futures

A cleaner future for your gas network

The Local Transmission System (LTS) is an 11,600km long network of pipelines which connects the National Transmission System (NTS) to towns, cities and industrial clusters. Think of the NTS like a motorway and the LTS like the A and B roads which connect to it. 

The LTS doesn’t just supply natural gas to homes; industries such as manufacturing of chemicals, building materials and food and drink rely on a stable and secure supply of natural gas directly from the local transmission system. If the LTS could carry hydrogen instead of natural gas, it would be a major step towards decarbonising Great Britain's gas network and hard-to-decarbonise sectors, such as industry, transport and power.  

Our £29.9 million LTS Futures project is testing the compatibility of the LTS to transport hydrogen. This project is so important because it can demonstrate how hydrogen can be transported at scale around the county and will inform the UK Government’s Energy Policy Decisions.  

What are we doing?

We’re repurposing a mothballed 30km pipeline, which runs from Grangemouth to Granton, to transport hydrogen instead of natural gas. Our team of engineers are working to provide evidence that the pipeline can carry 100% hydrogen instead of natural gas. Lots of preparation has already gone into this, including surveys and assessments on the pipeline and conducting extensive off-site testing.

We selected this pipeline because it is statistically representative of the local transmission system across Great Britain. The pipeline also includes features that we would encounter when repurposing the entire LTS, such as road and river crossings. Everything we learn will help our understanding of converting the whole LTS network to hydrogen and will be included in the final project report.

First ever live trial

All this work will culminate in a live trial during Summer 2025. This first of a kind demonstration will be delivered with the support of global chemical company INEOS, our hydrogen supplier. 

The live trial will help us understand how we carry out the same important operational activities with hydrogen as we do today with natural gas. 

Find out more about testing, the hydrogen supply pipeline we’re constructing in Grangemouth, and the live trial by clicking below!