en.Wedoany.com Reported - STATS Group's BISEP hot-tap and online plugging tool has been successfully tested and deployed on a high-pressure hydrogen pipeline in the UK and a dense-phase CO₂ pipeline in the US, validating the technology's suitability for low-carbon fuel transport scenarios and providing critical support for pipeline infrastructure adaptation to the energy transition.
Profound changes in the global energy landscape are driving operators to diversify energy sources, with low-carbon alternatives such as ammonia, methanol, hydrogen, and biofuels gaining attention. These fuels present technical and safety challenges during high-pressure transport, requiring proven high-integrity isolation solutions. The BISEP tool provides leak-free double isolation and venting through dual independent seals and continuous monitoring, enabling maintenance without depressurization or flaring, and without interrupting flow.
In hydrogen applications, the LTS Futures project, led by UK gas distribution company SGN, successfully conducted a hydrogen transport trial on a 30-kilometer, 18-inch operational pipeline. STATS was responsible for installing grouted tees, hot tapping, plugging, and setting completion plugs, with the BISEP tool at the core providing fail-safe, 100% leak-free double isolation. Given hydrogen's small molecular size and high leakage tendency, this achievement demonstrates that existing infrastructure can be safely adapted for hydrogen transport.
In dense-phase CO₂ applications, a multi-site project on the US Cortez pipeline achieved the world's first verified double isolation and venting on an operational CO₂ system (pressure exceeding 150 bar) without interrupting production. High-pressure CO₂ in a supercritical state can undergo phase changes, extreme cooling, and even dry ice formation during rapid depressurization, leading to material embrittlement and seal degradation. The BISEP maintains safe temperatures through precise control of venting rates and nitrogen purging of the seal annulus, enabling safe midline isolation while maintaining flow via a bypass.
The BISEP currently covers applications up to 56-inch pipelines at pressures exceeding 150 bar, with proven records in hydrocarbons, hydrogen, dense-phase CO₂, and high-temperature steam scenarios. Neil Mackay, Head of Sales and Business Development for Asia Pacific, stated that the BISEP's proven performance in hydrogen and CO₂ services makes it a key technology supporting the energy transition, offering advantages in safety, efficiency, and environmental benefits over traditional lip-seal plugging methods.
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