This DVGW-Information GAS No. 17 provides information on how to implement the lightning protection requirements in accordance with IEC 62305 for systems of gas and hydrogen transport and distribution systemas well as for systems supplying commercial, industrial or comparable facilities. Lightning protection measures are used to protect people, structures and technical equipment against the effects of lightning.

This Guideline G 655 was developed by the project group “H2 Readiness for Gas Installation” within the Technical Committee “Gas Installation” with the involvement of representatives from Technical Committees “Domestic, Commercial, and Industrial Gas Applications”, “Components and Auxiliary Materials – Gas”, as well as of “Infrastructure Gas Mobility”. According to the German Energy Industry Act (“Energiewirtschaftsgesetz”; EnWG) Article 3 No 10c und No 19a the injection of hydrogen and other renewable gases is permissible. In combination with Article 49 of the Energy Industry Act, the DVGW Sets of Rules and, specifically, the technical rules Code of Practice G 260 “Gas Quality”, for domestic installations still G 600 “Technical Rule for Gas Installations” (DVGW TRGI) and G 614-1 “Above-Ground Gas Pipelines on Premises behind Point of Delivery — Design, Con-struction, Testing and Commissioning” shall be taken into account.  According to DVGW Code of Practice G 262:2011-09 “Usage of Gases from Regenerative Sources in the Supply of the General Public with Gas”, the injection of < 10 vol% hydrogen has been admissible. The revision of DVGW G 260:2020-09 (draft) and entailed fusion with DVGW G 262 (A) has laid the basis for the injection of hydrogen of up to 20 vol%. In principle, the injection with such a volume was already possible through applying a corresponding exception in DVGW G 260 (A):2013 Section 4.2.2 “Relative Density” and carrying out pre-acceptance testing in case values fell below the relative density. To make “pure” hydrogen networks possible, an amendment of the Energy Industry Act is currently being developed which will integrate pure hydrogen networks into the Act. There, the DVGW Sets of Rules are referenced as the generally accepted state-of-art. This Guideline further expands the DVGW sets of rules for hydrogen-rich natural gas of up to 20 vol% H2’ or hydrogen in the context of a two-step process. In the first step, “H2 Guidelines” are developed for the fields “gas infrastructure” and “gas utilisation” which describe the protection objectives for hydrogen-rich natural gases and hydrogen that must be adhered to and that supplement the existing sets of rules. The goal is to expand the scope of application of DVGW Sets of Rules to natural gas/hydrogen mixtures or pure hydrogen. The process includes advice and rec-ommended actions that make e.g., the realization of pilot projects or conducting individual certified ac-ceptance tests possible. In the second step, the respective national and European rulesets are revised and adjusted in detail with consideration towards the results of parallelly occurring F&E activities. In some sections, only generalized specifications or notes are currently possible. As soon as new state of knowledge exists, these generalized items will be specified with more precision.  

This Guideline G 464 shall apply for the fracture mechanical assessment of steel gas pipelines that already exist or are projected for construction with a design pressure of more than 16 bar for the transportation or distribution of gases of the 5th gas family (hydrogen) as specified by DVGW Code of Practice G 260. This present Guideline G 464 addresses the assessment of an assumed defect; for the assessment of measured defects, the guideline can be applied analogously.

This guideline G 408 shall apply to the conversion of pipelines made from plastic to hydrogen-containing, methane-rich gases (2nd gas family) or hydrogen (5th gas family) in accordance with DVGW Code of Practice G 260 up to an operating pressure of 16 bar and ends with the main shut-off valve, the thematic threshold to DVGW Guideline G 655. This guideline G 408 can also be applied to the conversion of plastic gas pipeline operated with gases that do not conform to the specifications of DVGW Code of Practice G 260 if the gases’ specific characteristics and, if applicable, other existing regulations are taken into account. The respective guidelines on pipeline conversion shall be consulted for networks using different pipeline materials (e.g., plastic and steel).

This guideline G 407 shall apply to the conversion of pipelines made from steel to hydrogen-containing, methane-rich gases (2nd gas family) or hydrogen (5th gas family) in accordance with DVGW Code of Practice G 260 up to an operating pressure of 16th and ends with the main shut-off valve, the custody transfer point to DVGW G 600 (A), respectively to G 614.1 (A) (including the additions detailed in DVGW Guideline G 655). This guideline can also be applied to the conversion of steel gas pipeline operated with gases that do not conform to the specifications of DVGW Code of Practice G 260 when taking into account the gases’ specific characteristics and, if applicable, other existing regulations. The respective guidelines on pipeline conversion shall be consulted for networks using different pipeline materials (e.g., plastic and steel).

For hydrogen transmission within the German gas grid, it is imperative to obtain a clearly defined assessment of steel components for hydrogen suitability and relevant implementation in the DVGW Codes of Practice. Within this context, DVGW Code of Practice G 409 (for the conversion of pipelines to hydrogen transmission) and DVGW Code of Practice G 463  (for the construction of new pipelines), for example, have been specifically aligned to hydrogen as a transmission medium. Both these codes of practice may require a fracture-mechanical assessment of pipelines and pipeline components, with fracture-mechanical parameters beingrequired as input variables. So far, it was only in ASME B 31.12 [3] that these parameters were specified in an international code of practice. They specifically involve minimum fracture toughness (KIc) and the description of crack toughness (da/dN) with hydrogen as a medium. However, the parameters specified in ASME B 31.12 were based on investigations on US materials which are verysimilar, but not identical, to the materials used in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. Furthermore, the conversion of existing older natural gas pipelines (comprising older materials) is of very considerable interest particularly for the scope of application of the DVGW Code of Practice, although a direct transferability of the US investigations was considered to be problematic. Hence, within the context of the DVGW’s extensive SyWeSt H2 research project, fracturemechanical investigations were performed specifically for the pipeline steel grades used in Germany (and, in some cases, elsewhere in Europe) with hydrogen as a medium. The objective of this project was to compare the established fracture-mechanical parameters with the results on which ASME B 31.12 is based for the purpose of validating their application to steel grades used in Germany and, where applicable, drawing up a modified correlation for crack growth.

In conjunction with DIN EN 1594, this Technical Rule G 463 applies to the planning and construction of steel high pressure gas pipelines with a design pressure of more than 16 bar for supplying gas to the general public as well as to connected energy facilities on company premises and in the field of commercial gas application of gases of the 2nd and 5th gas family as defined by DVGW Code of Practice G 260. The scope of application has no upwards limitation in terms of the technical parameters nominal diameter and design pressure. This Technical Rule can be applied mutatis mutandis to the construction of high pressure gas pipelines which do not conform to the specifications of DVGW Code of Practice G 260, provided that the specific characteristics of the gases or, if applicable, other already existing technical sets of rules are taken into account.

This standard G 493-2 encompasses personal and professional requirements for companies providing maintenance for gas plants and installations that fall within the scope of DVGW G 495 (A), as well as biogas injection and refeeding plants as specified by DVGW G 265-2 or hydrogen injection plants as specified by DVGW G 265-4 (M).Companies which, within the context of comprehensive plant management, either as original operators or as contractors, are responsible for the maintenance of energy plants, and possess the required personal qualification and organization according to DVGW G 1000 (A), may conduct the maintenance of gas plants without certification as defined by this standard within the network which they have the abovementioned responsibility for. The prerequisite for the maintenance without certification as mentioned above is that the expert and tech-nical conditions detailed in this standard are met by the company’s own workforce or by service providers with a TSM certification or other corresponding certifications. The company shall appoint the experts re-sponsible for maintenance in writing. The fulfilment of these conditions can be verified e.g. during a TSM review according to DVGW G 1000 (A).

Code of Practice GW 315 provides essential information on how to avoid damaging to existing supply systems during construction operations. It applies to all construction work  and regulates the requirements for construction contractors and operators of supply systems.

This Technical Rule G 260 specifies the requirements for the quality of fuel gases used in the supply of the general public with gas and sets the parameters for gas delivery, gas transportation, gas distribution, gas storage, operation of gas plants/systems and gas appliances for commercial and industrial gas applications as well as for development, standardization, and testing. Gases transported in separate pipelines which are not used in the supply of the general public, or are used as energy carrier or resource, and/or are used in special gas appliances are not subject to the scope of this Technical Rule.

G 452‑3 Technical Information ‑ Guideline 03/2021

G 452‑2 Technical Rule ‑ Standard 08/2020

This Technical Rule G 280 applies to all gases covered in DVGW Codes of Practice G 260 and G 262 respectively Standards DIN EN 16723-1 and -2 as well as DIN EN 16726 and all gases used for the supply via pipeline system of the general public and other consumers with a comparable level of safety. When using sulfur-containing odorants, the fact shall be taken into account that the entailed increase of the sulfur content in the gas is undesirable for some applications, such as its use as basic material in the chemical industry. Industrial companies using natural gas exclusively on company premises can forego odorization if the operator utilizes other measures to maintain the industrial gas plant or system’s safety. When switching from one odorant to another, special attention shall be paid to Section 9. The calibration of measuring devices for odorant control requires test gases which are detailed in Section 10.

G 473 Guideline 01/2018

G 497 Technical Rule‑Standard 02/2019

This document DIN CEN TR 17797 is written in preparation of future standardization and provides guidance on how injection of H2 into the gas infrastructure can impact processes from the input of gas into the on-shore transmission network up to the inlet connection of gas appliances.