Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

At Arculus we want to help the World reach net zero. To do this, we developed a hydrogen-barrier coating that enables retrofitting natural gas transmission pipelines for safe hydrogen transportation.
With our coating applied on the internal surface of pipelines, it is possible to transport a mix of hydrogen and natural gas or even pure hydrogen, without embrittling the steel. 
We are finalizing the development of an autonomous robot able to travel inside natural gas transmission pipelines while applying the coating: the SputterPig.

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How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

We enable direct reduction of GHGs emissions from natural gas consumption by enabling its substitution with hydrogen. When burning natural gas (mostly composed of methane), you directly produce CO2. When burning hydrogen, you produce water vapor. Mixing hydrogen into natural gas pipelines allows for a direct reduction of the CO2 produced proportional to the amount of hydrogen in the mix. But to mix hydrogen we need to either (i) protect the natural gas pipelines with our patented coating to avoid hydrogen embrittlement in the steel, or (ii) replace all the pipelines with 316 stainless steel, which is highly expensive.
The EPA published (1) that in 2021 the CO2 emissions from natural gas combustion in the US, as we burn an average of 32.31 trillion cubic feet per year (2), were 1,621.0 MMT CO2e (MMT = million metric ton). In our emissions estimate, we also considered the contribution to CO2e derived from leaks from natural gas pipelines. The results showed that with just 20% H2 blending in the US, thanks to our coating, we can obtain a reduction of 873.0 MMT CO2e per year. This becomes 2,567.5 MMT CO2e when considering worldwide adoption of our coating and 20% blending. As our coating allows not only for hydrogen blending, but also for use of the pipelines with pure hydrogen, the estimate becomes 4,365.2 MMT CO2e in the US and 12,837.4 MMT CO2e worldwide.

(1) https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-04/US-GHG-Inventory-2023-Main-Text.pdf
(2) https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=50&t=8

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Sustainable Development Goals:

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

By hydrogen-proofing and rehabilitating gas pipelines, Arculus Solutions will unlock a transition to a low-carbon and low-pollutant gas fuel mix that disproportionately benefits Low Income/Disadvantaged Communities (LIDAC).
Why is this the case? All forecasts expect that wealthier and advantaged communities will be the first to electrify, ridding their kitchens and basements of appliances based on natural gas combustion, which produces VOCs and other pollutants and has been demonstrated to contribute to rates of asthma. As wealthier populations electrify, LIDAC homes are expected to continue operating gas appliances such as stoves and water heaters, and thus will continue to suffer from the health effects of indoor combustion of natural gas.

However, as the most technically feasible and cost-effective pipeline adaptation method, Arculus Solutions can help the gas supply chain become hydrogen-compatible, which has multiple benefits that disproportionately affect LIDAC populations:
   1. Accelerate the adoption of, and increase the level of, hydrogen in the gas supply, reducing the level of harmful VOCs generated by natural gas combustion in homes
   2. Reduce methane emissions from pipeline infrastructure, which tends to be more heavily concentrated adjacent to LIDAC neighborhoods
   3. Over the long-term, facilitate the reduction of the supply costs of gaseous fuels, disproportionately reducing the economic burdens of gas demand from a smaller share of population who have yet to electrify their homes (e.g. costs borne by the “gas utility death spiral”).

Arculus Solutions intends to work with both midstream pipeline owners/operators and customer-facing utilities to help educate consumers on the attributes and benefits of hydrogen blending, both inside the home and across the gas system as a whole. While an evolving fuel mix, especially at low concentrations, does not require any actions from end consumers, it is important to obtain their buy-in and understanding prior to facilitating such a major evolution. To that end, we have a goal to support the enablement of a 5% hydrogen blend or more in one million homes by 2030 and one hundred million homes by 2040, vastly reducing the carbon and VOC emissions associated with in-home gaseous fuel combustion.

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Mission Statement:

Future-proofing pipelines to safely transport hydrogen.

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