The Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines cannot be used to transport gas-hydrogen mixtures due to the likelihood of large losses in the system, Naftogaz Ukrainy said with reference to engineering calculations by the global oilfield services company Schlumberger (headquartered in Houston and Paris).

"If, for example, one kilogram of hydrogen is pumped in Vyborg (Russia), then the mainland of Germany will receive, at best, 250 grams, again mixed with natural gas. That is, the losses amount to 75% over a section of 1,000 km," Maksym Beliavsky, the director for integrated communications of Naftogaz, said during the round table "Features of the "green" energy transition and the role of metallurgy," organized by GMK Center.

He noted that the corresponding calculations were carried out in order to show in a closed format at the level of European and American experts that the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines cannot be used to transport gas-hydrogen mixtures.

In addition, he said that Naftogaz carried out its own calculations within the framework of these studies and concluded that the transportation of gas-hydrogen mixtures and hydrogen through the gas transmission system in Ukraine would be practically impossible to carry out from a hydraulic point of view.

"In this case, there will be a loss of resources on the pumping path and other phenomena associated, for example, with gas taking. If a group of gas distribution networks, gas outlets are connected to the main gas pipeline system, they will definitely affect the flow of the gas-hydrogen mixture. Then we will have to compensate for pressure loss in the gas pipeline-branch corresponding to the injection pressure of hydrogen itself. These are very complex calculations that need to be constantly optimized," he said.

Beliavsky pointed out that, according to the calculations, the use of pipelines for the transportation of gas-hydrogen mixtures and hydrogen is possible if consumers' access to the gas transmission system is limited, while the length of the pipeline should be no more than 50-70 km.

"Otherwise, there will be large losses of hydrogen," he said.