H2Explainer: How do we start using hydrogen to reduce our household emissions?

As set out in the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan for a green recovery, from 2023 Britain’s local gas grid companies are aiming to mix hydrogen into our household gas supplies, to help reduce carbon emissions. This process, known as ‘blending’, is just the start of the journey to replace the carbon-emitting natural gas that 85% of our homes rely upon for heating, hot water and cooking.

The idea is a straightforward one and we have already demonstrated that blending is feasible and safe though successful innovation projects, like HyDeploy. We will aim to replace up to 20% of the carbon emitting natural gas that’s currently in the grid with non-carbon emitting hydrogen instead.

The best thing is, it’s a win-win situation – with this level of hydrogen in the gas grid, households won’t need to change their gas boilers, cookers or heaters or the way they use their energy. In fact, they won’t notice any difference to their gas supply at all.

But they will reduce their carbon emissions. Replacing up to 20% of the natural gas in the gas grid with hydrogen will take the equivalent of 2.5 million cars off Britain’s roads each year. The most important thing is that we, as the custodians of the country’s gas infrastructure, make that happen in a safe and secure way.

And that’s where Britain’s world-leading engineering expertise comes in.

Through the innovation projects that gas networks are running, we’ve been preparing for hydrogen blending for some time. HyDeploy has been running a live trial at Keele University, with the approval of the Health & Safety Executive. Through this project, up to 20% hydrogen is being blended with natural gas to be used into people’s homes on the Keele University campus via a private gas network. This first phase has proven that theory works safely in practice, with no impact on that way people use their gas boilers or cookers.

In the next phase of testing, which will be launched in Gateshead this year, we will see hydrogen mixed into the public gas grid, using the same technology used in the first phase, with the same rigorous approach to safety and the same Gas Safe checks for customers’ gas appliances. The main difference with this demonstration is that we will be using the hydrogen with a wider variety of customers and appliances that is more representative of the country as a whole.

When it comes to hydrogen, tomorrow’s heat really is today’s opportunity.