Terms and Conditions of R&D&I cooperation
PSG Research Station

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, the risks of transporting mixtures of methane and hydrogen through distribution networks and natural gas facilities, 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:
  • Implementation ofa n 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 (modules).
  • 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.
  • Application for reading gas meters by customers.
  • Development of a methodology for determining the combustion heat of a gas-natural gas mixture for sites supplied from several gas sources with different combustion heat (e.g. by a biomethane plant and the GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. transmission network).
  • Testing of ultrasonic gas meters for domestic applications.
  • Piloting the uses of satellite, drones and methane-sensing helicopters image analysis for the inspection of high and increased medium-pressure gas pipelines as a complementary solutions to conventional aerial inspections.
  • Testing of innovative network inspection equipment, including new methane sensors.
  • Participation in the INGRID Project - the thematic scope includes the study of an integrated system for green hydrogen production, blending with natural gas and transmission through a research distribution network system in order to assess the feasibility of transmitting this fuel using natural gas distribution networks.
  • Cooperation in three hydrogen valleys (Mazovian Hydrogen Valley, Lower Silesian Hydrogen Valley, Silesian-Malopolska Hydrogen Valley).
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 of “decarbonised” gases.
For questions regarding the field of R&D+I, please send an email to: [email protected].