Aerial view on winding forest and city - ROSEN's main purpose visual

Meet Future Challenges for the Lifelines of the Modern World

The ROSEN Group is enabling the safe transition in the energy sector from hydrocarbons to future fuels, in proven transmission systems around the globe. The company's experts are working to create the conditions for transporting new energy sources and supports operators in using existing infrastructure safely and efficiently – also with regard to environmental and safety requirements.

The image shows a tool from the inside with spotlights. A gradient has been applied over it.

Maintaining and cleaning critical infrastructure makes the oil, gas, and mining sectors safer and more efficient.

Loading component...

Based on the Paris Agreement, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published a roadmap in 2021 to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The energy sector is the largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions and is therefore central to keeping global warming below 1.5°C. Increasingly common extreme weather events such as wildfires, floods, and hurricanes highlight the urgency of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

As the world transitions to realize net zero, the global demand for sustainable energy will continue to grow. Hydrogen (H₂) will play a key role as an energy carrier. Existing pipeline systems appear to be ideal for storing, transporting, and distributing this renewable energy source. However, it is not quite as simple as that, because hydrogen poses new challenges for the existing systems. Their materials are subject to different threats than their equivalents transporting natural gas.

Loading component...

This picture shows an above-ground H2O pipeline. A gradient has been superimposed over the image.

Green hydrogen is emerging.

Loading component...

Pipelines that transport H₂ are subject to the same external hazards as natural gas pipelines, but it is crucial to acknowledge how the medium impacts the material of the system. The H₂ fuel pushes the steel from which the pipelines are made even closer to its mechanical limits. This makes inspections to check the condition of the material and knowledge of possible cracks all the more important. The extent of this effect can vary depending on the steel’s grade and microstructure, H₂ concentration, and other factors.

Accurate knowledge of the systems' individual conditions is the key to their repurposed use. "This is what we do every day to support operators in the best possible way: We carefully assess material properties of pipeline systems to ultimately ensure that all energy sources can be transported safely and efficiently," says Marion Erdelen-Peppler, Head of Group Business Line Hydrogen and Future Fuels at the ROSEN Group in Lingen, Germany. “We see ourselves as pioneers helping to shape the conventional and future fuels energy industry, since we analyze the technological possibilities.”

Loading component...

State-of-the-art Hydrogen Laboratory

Like no other company, ROSEN has the data, the experience, the technology, and the H₂ expertise needed for the energy transition. The company draws on a broad portfolio of methods for inline inspections of hydrogen pipelines. The latest sensor technologies detect hydrogen-related threats and defects that might affect the integrity of the transmission system. ROSEN performs integrity assessments based on material properties in its state-of-the-art hydrogen laboratory in Lingen, Germany.

Whether it is a complete conversion of an existing pipeline to transport hydrogen or the introduction of a hydrogen blend, regulatory requirements require certain preparatory actions. “Our phased approach makes the energy transition easier to realize for our customers, but more important to comply with the technological and regulatory requirements," explains Marion. Each standardized step fills potential data gaps and ends with a go/no-go decision to provide cost certainty and maximum project safety.

Loading component...

This image shows two people working in a laboratory. A gradient has been applied to the image.

ROSEN performs integrity assessments based on material properties in its laboratory in Lingen, Germany.

Loading component...

Woman with brown long hair smiles at camera wearing brown jacket over white turtleneck sweater.

We see ourselves as pioneers helping to shape the conventional and future fuels energy industry.

Dr.-Ing. Marion Erdelen-Peppler, Head of Group Business Line Hydrogen and Future Fuels

Loading component...

Pipelines for the Transport of Carbon Dioxide

In addition to new energy sources, the capture, utilization, and storage of carbon dioxide (CCUS) is increasingly becoming the focus of interest on the path to a carbon-neutral future. The production of so-called blue hydrogen, which is mainly produced from natural gas, also requires CO₂ capture and transportation to safe underground storage sites. More and more CCUS projects and pilot initiatives are being launched. Today, CCUS is mostly applied in North America, but numerous projects are also planned in Europe by 2030 (IEA, CCUS Projects Database 2023).

“A reliable CO₂ pipeline network is crucial for CCUS,” says Michael Tewes, Business Line Manager Hydrogen and Future Fuels, ROSEN Group in Lingen, Germany. Transporting captured CO₂ from the source to the storage sites sounds simple, but in practice it requires a sophisticated, resilient infrastructure.

With years of experience in inline inspection, Michael knows that the successful operation of a CO₂ pipeline network relies on thorough monitoring and maintenance: "This is the only way to ensure that critical infrastructure can reliably and safely fulfill its purpose without endangering the environment or public welfare."

Loading component...

The need for H2 and CO2 infrastructure will increase while the requirements of conventional energy transport will remain during the decades of transition, with different rates of conversion throughout the world. ROSEN has extensive experience in pipeline modification and operates one of the world's best analysis laboratories.

Maintaining infrastructure in the oil, gas, and mining sectors is an important contribution to climate protection. ROSEN supports integrity management with solutions that minimize risks and downtime.

Data is the most valuable asset in the energy sector. ROSEN uses AI to unlock this treasure for infrastructure operators.

According to the latest Energy Transition Outlook for 2024, provided by the classification society DNV, the capacity of CCUS facilities in operation, under construction, or under development increased by nearly 50% between 2022 and 2023. The expansion and development of a reliable transportation infrastructure takes time, so decisions on such projects need to be made now if the energy transition is to succeed.

The transportation of CO₂ differs significantly from traditional oil and gas transportation. CO₂ is often transported under high pressure, which requires special materials and pipeline designs that ensure safety. CO₂ has its specific challenges under pressure, particularly for containment and leak detection. Each leak negates the climate benefits and poses a serious risk to surrounding communities and ecosystems.

“Establishing a CO₂ pipeline network is more than an engineering feat; it is a commitment to public safety and environmental stewardship,” Michael states. This is where modern inspection and integrity management processes come into play. ROSEN has an impressive track record of inspecting CO₂ pipelines using a variety of technologies. The company has been looking at the challenges of safely repurposing to CO₂since 2009. ROSEN staff have been working closely to analyze and evaluate the challenges and issues of repurposing existing pipelines. This is evidenced by a number of studies, such as those of Sameera Naib and Daniel Sandana on the first commercial methane reformer hydrogen production plant at the Valero Port Arthur refinery site in Texas, USA. The site went into operation in 2013 (Hydrocarbon Engineering magazine, March 2024).

Loading component...

Establishing a CO₂ pipeline network is more than an engineering feat; it is a commitment to public safety and environmental stewardship.

Michael Tewes, Business Line Manager Hydrogen and Future Fuels

Loading component...

More Safety and Protection

The International Energy Agency reports that satellites detected more than 5 million tons of methane emissions from large leaks in fossil fuels worldwide in 2023. Catastrophic incidents like gas leaks or oil spills caused by defective pipelines highlight the importance of ROSEN's work and sound integrity management by pipeline operators. However, maintaining, cleaning, and inspecting this critical infrastructure is not always easy. A combination of circumstances such as pipeline design, operating conditions, and/or product characteristics can hinder inline inspection using conventional methods. ROSEN has made a name for itself in particularly complex tasks.

Coexistence of Technology and Nature

Due to the increasing demand for energy and aging infrastructure, the technical challenges of the past are as relevant today as they will be tomorrow. Pipelines require a customized inspection if they cannot be inspected using standard methods or tools. It may be that the pipeline system is not in operation or it has very narrow bends or extremely low flow or pressure rates, insufficient for the standard operation of conventional in-line inspection tools, or transports a medium that poses challenges. Pipelines carrying H2 or ammonia are just as challenging as inspecting a pipeline carrying bitumen at 150°C. For example, ROSEN was called in by a Canadian operator to inspect a pipeline that decreases in diameter from 8 to 6 inches over a 300-meter section. As a result, the pipeline had not been fully inspected, so the operator had very little data on its condition. There seemed to be no solution without having to excavate the section under a river, obviously coming with significant impacts on the ecosystem in this area, as well as the financial resources that would have had to be spent on it.

ROSEN in Canada developed a new pull unit for an in-line inspection tool that would allow the 8-inch as well as the 6-inch section of the pipeline to be included in the survey. “We devised a plan to complete the inspection without unduly disturbing the flora and fauna along the riverbank,” says Zachary Farrell, Principal Project Manager at ROSEN Canada. This was particularly important as the pipeline runs through Indigenous land. ROSEN Canada worked with the local Indigenous group to minimize any disturbance to the environment. The data sets from the measurements of the different sections were compared using equivalent welds. In this way, the data could be analyzed as if it came from a continuous pipeline. The full report on the section was delivered to the customer seven days after the intervention. The comprehensive data analysis not only secured the asset, but also reduced the risk of unknown integrity flaws and minimized the environmental impact of the inspection.

Loading component...

An onshore pipeline running through the landscape underneath a purple and blue sky with light blue and white streams along its outside walls.

The coexistence of infrastructures for the transportation of new and conventional energy sources will last for decades. This is what makes ROSEN's business even more relevant.

Loading component...

Keep Economy Running

In western Africa, ROSEN was commissioned to inspect two oil pipelines for corrosion. The pipelines are located 120 kilometers off the coast at a water depth of 1,100 meters. The customer requested an inspection for two 8-kilometer sections.

Under ideal circumstances, the customer would have been able to inspect the pipeline system in one pass. However, ROSEN was made aware that a defective valve could be an obstacle for the inspection tool. Such a case usually requires one or more operational interruptions, possibly leading to the power production plant and associated energy infrastructure being shut down.

ROSEN proposed to perform the inspection from both directions of the pipeline and developed a customized tool for continuity and corrosion inspection that provided accurate data and high-resolution images of the pipeline's condition.

Thanks to ROSEN's solution, downtime was kept to a minimum to ensure the safety of people and the environment without the risk of endangering the system in that depth of water.

Loading component...

Pipeline integrity experts have long desired to merge data from different tools.

Hazem Rahmah, Service Manager for Data Fusion

Loading component...

Data Fusion and AI for Greater Insight

Combining many sources of data is often the best way to obtain more reliable information about the condition of an asset when the capabilities of computer systems and human expertise are limited. Artificial intelligence (AI) opens up new ways to identify patterns in large amounts of data and to gain new insights.

At ROSEN, proven technologies such as MFL (magnetic flux leakage) are used in new ways for data fusion. Data fusion brings in-line inspection (ILI) metal loss integrity assessments based on 3-dimensional corrosion profiles to a new level. It integrates information from MFL-A (axial) and MFL-C (circumferential) tools using a deep learning network to comprehensively characterize all types of metal loss features, despite their direction or morphology. MFL data fusion provides laser-scan-like data quality for the entire pipeline length, resulting in a step change for accuracy and certainty of metal loss reporting, as well as optimized burst pressure calculation. Knowing the condition of a pipeline helps inform better decisions, such as avoiding unnecessary excavation, which is costly and disruptive to flora and fauna.

Loading component...

Woman wearing glasses and holding a pencil in her hand and putting it to her lips while looking at a screen with data sets with the ROSEN gradient.

ROSEN relies on extensive systematic data collection from various sources for integrity management.

Loading component...

Large Systematic Collection of Data

"Pipeline integrity experts have long desired to merge data from different tools," says Hazem Rahmah, Service Manager for Data Fusion at ROSEN in Lingen, Germany. Using a pre-trained convolutional neural network (CNN) and developing new algorithms, ROSEN is combining the strengths of different inspection technologies to provide greater confidence in the condition of pipelines.

ROSEN draws on the large-scale, systematic collection of data from multiple sources. This includes data from in-line inspections and tests, historical records from various vendors, geographic information system (GIS) data, and environmental data. The company increasingly explores the use of AI to enhance the evaluation of this vast amount of data for integrity management. "Similar to how AI-driven software supports the detection of cancer by analyzing medical images, we cautiously apply AI techniques to support experts with asset-centric decision proposal," says Benjamin Wolters, Head of AI, Data & Architecture, Lingen.

Loading component...

server room 3d illustration with programming data design element.

Humans and machines are continuously trained with new data so that the total amount of knowledge increases.

Loading component...

Human-Machine Interaction is King

Specifically, ROSEN is working to use AI to generate higher-quality data analysis by aggregating the knowledge of all data analysts worldwide and making it available to customers to improve asset inspection. AI also assists analysts in detecting, identifying, and sizing defects. The responsibility remains with the human.

Because the defects in the pipeline systems change over time and new defects can occur with new energy sources (such as H2, see above), this type of human–machine interaction is extremely relevant. Humans and machines are continuously trained with new data so that the total amount of knowledge increases and all potentially dangerous defects are quickly and reliably identified.

With this expanded knowledge, ROSEN continues to write the history of asset integrity management and the company, in line with its purpose: Securing a sustainable future – empowered by technology.

Meet Future Challenges for the Lifelines of the Modern World

Loading component...

Loading component...

Loading component...

Loading component...

State-of-the-art Hydrogen Laboratory

Loading component...

Loading component...

Loading component...

Pipelines for the Transport of Carbon Dioxide

Loading component...

FAQ

Increasing need for H2 and CO2 infrastructure

Maintaining conventional infrastructure

Data is Key

Loading component...

Loading component...

More Safety and Protection

Coexistence of Technology and Nature

Loading component...

Loading component...

Keep Economy Running

Loading component...

Loading component...

Data Fusion and AI for Greater Insight

Loading component...

Loading component...

Large Systematic Collection of Data

Loading component...

Loading component...

Human-Machine Interaction is King

Loading component...

Share this page

Loading component...

Quicklinks

Loading component...

More about ROSEN

Loading component...

Get in touch

Loading component...

Stay informed

Loading component...

Pipelines for the Transport of Carbon Dioxide

More Safety and Protection

Coexistence of Technology and Nature

Keep Economy Running

Data Fusion and AI for Greater Insight

Large Systematic Collection of Data

Human-Machine Interaction is King

Share this page

Quicklinks

More about ROSEN

Get in touch