Polska Spółka Gazownictwa - Innovation

Innovation

The Research and Development Centre Office (CBiR) at Polska Spółka Gazownictwa sp. z o.o. (PSG) is implementing innovation and research and development (R&D) works.

The research, development and innovation (R&D&I) work primarily concerns the technical aspects of natural gas distribution. In recent years, emphasis has been placed on projects enabling the extension of the functionality of the gas network and preparing it for the distribution of “decarbonised” gases (produced from RESs), mainly biomethane and hydrogen. The Company's employees are also carrying out work as part of the “Implementation Doctorate” programme on such issues as the use of plastics in the transport of natural gas and natural gas and hydrogen mixtures, modelling the operation of gas networks using neural networks or efficient purification of biogas into biomethane.

CBiR cooperates with scientific and research centres and universities in conducting R&D work and with entities offering innovative solutions with the goal of steadily improving as well as automating both core and supporting business processes. We can achieve these outcomes by verifying solutions in a pilot project and then by implementing them conditional on the results of the test.

CBiR also supports the development of existing solutions and runs the Innovation System, thanks to which it acquires and submits ideas for innovations and improvements that PSG employees suggest.

Current R&D&I projects implemented by CBiR include:

An innovative system for the automatic identification of defects in gas infrastructure using acoustic emission.
Telemetric reading of data from metering systems using innovative vision overlays.
Testing of an innovative low- and medium-pressure gas network inspection system based on Machine Learning technology for advanced network leak detection, emission measurement and reduction, and optimisation of the gas pipeline replacement programme.
Piloting the use of satellite image analysis for the inspection of high and increased medium-pressure gas pipelines as a complementary solution to aerial inspections.
Piloting the use of VR technology as a supporting solution to providing occupational health and safety training in pre-medical first aid.

CBiR continuously identifies new research and development needs in the Company and seeks new technical solutions, especially those related to the study of the impact of hydrogen and biomethane admixtures on the behaviour of the network installation and the optimisation of gas infrastructure management, which enable their safe and cost-efficient transport through the distribution network operated by PSG. With the primary objective of increasing the efficiency of the transport of gaseous fuels, the safety of the operation of the gas infrastructure and the maintenance of a continuous supply, the main areas in which solutions are being sought include:

gas network monitoring,
gas stations,
metering systems,
telemetry,
customer support,
energy optimisation (including recovery of residual energy from various sources),
distribution of alternative fuels, transport and storage of “decarbonised” gases.