Fueling the Future: Advancements in Trenchless Gas Pipeline Rehabilitation

Maintaining legacy gas pipeline infrastructure is an ongoing challenge throughout the United States, with thousands of miles of aging natural gas pipelines that are in critical need of repair or replacement. Open cut excavation replacement, to date, has been the most common solution used in the gas industry, but this method is costly, disruptive, and time-consuming, and requires either turning off gas flow or bypassing the lines to maintain service. Until recently, there has been a lack of investment in the research and development of innovative, cost-effective solutions to solve these and other gas industry-related pipeline issues. The US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) was initiated to address needs like this, making investments in key research and development initiatives like Rapid Encapsulation of Pipelines Avoiding Intensive Replacement (REPAIR). REPAIR was created to develop advanced technology for inspecting and rehabilitating natural gas pipelines using minimally invasive trenchless methods. The challenge presented by ARPA-E is to develop a robust trenchless alternative to the traditional open-cut replacement of deteriorated steel and iron gas lines that has a 50-year+ design life. Warren Environmental, General Electric Global Research, and Garver are one of 10 teams that were selected to take on this significant endeavor, proposing their PipeLine Underground Trenchless Overhaul (PLUTO) system. PLUTO includes sophisticated robotic systems for highly dexterous operation/mobility, coating/lining application technologies, and advanced inspection/testing equipment. As the system is developed and enters commercial service for gas pipeline rehabilitation, the team is also exploring the suitability of these technologies for water and wastewater applications, the nuclear energy sector, and emerging hydrogen pipe lining opportunities.