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THE ROAD TO COP26

Ahead of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, IGEM CEO Cadent and Progressive Energy are
Oliver Lancaster travelled around the UK to learn more lead partners on the project, which
about some of the exciting work taking place across the gas is being supported by organisations
industry to drive the creation of a hydrogen economy and including global companies and brands
across many sectors.
create the world’s first zero-carbon gas network. Here, we HyNet was one of five clusters
join Ollie on the journey and find out what he learned at the bidding for ‘Track One’ status in the
largest gathering of world leaders ever to take place UK government’s Carbon Capture,
Usage and Storage (CCUS) Cluster
on British soil Sequencing Process, which would
allow it to start decarbonising the
HYDEPLOY of the of the village to see for myself all region by the mid 2020s.
The HyDeploy project aims to the different kinds of homes, businesses In October, Greg Hands, Minister
demonstrate that natural gas containing and buildings that are using hydrogen for of State for Energy, Clean Growth
levels of hydrogen beyond those in the their cooking and heating right now.” and Climate Change, announced to
GS(M)R specification can be distributed Parliament that HyNet would be taken
and utilised safely and efficiently for HYNET forward as one of two ‘Track One’
the first time in a section of the UK HyNet North West is an innovative low- projects in the UK, the other being the
distribution network. carbon and hydrogen energy project East Coast Cluster.
The second phase of this project that will unlock a low carbon economy Ollie said: “It’s been great to observe
builds on the foundational work for the North West and North Wales over the last few months or so the
undertaken at Keele University, moving and put the region at the forefront of the developments taking place across the
to a larger demonstration on a public UK’s drive to net zero. industrial clusters. It is disappointing
network at Winlaton, in the North East. that the Acorn cluster in Scotland
As the first ever live demonstration was not included in Track One, but I
of hydrogen in homes, HyDeploy aims HyDeploy aims to prove that am really pleased that the East Coast
to prove that blending up to 20 per cent blending up to 20 per cent Cluster and HyNet are going forward.
volume of hydrogen with natural gas volume of hydrogen with “I’ve been particularly impressed
is a safe and greener alternative to the by the pace of progress at HyNet with
gas we use now. It is providing evidence natural gas is a safe and greener Wales & West Utilities now joining
that customers don’t have to change alternative to the gas we use now up with Cadent in the North Wales
their cooking or heating appliances coverage and the number of businesses
to take the blend, which means less who have signed up to receive a
disruption and cost for them. It is From 2025, HyNet will produce, hydrogen supply within the cluster.”
also confirming initial findings that store and distribute hydrogen as well
customers don’t notice any difference as capture and store carbon from HYGROVE
when using the hydrogen blend. industry in the North West of England The UK’s first homes with household
HyDeploy is being delivered by the and North Wales. Using state-of-the- gas appliances fuelled entirely by
HyDeploy consortium, led by Cadent. art technology, the project partners hydrogen officially opened in July at
The partners include Northern Gas plan to build new infrastructure while Northern Gas Networks’ innovation site
Networks, Progressive Energy, Keele also upgrading and reusing existing in Low Thornley, Gateshead.
University, HSE – Science Division and infrastructure which is currently The two semi-detached homes
ITM Power. involved in fossil fuel production. have been built in a partnership
Ollie attended the launch of a report As part of the HyNet project, blue between gas distributors Northern Gas
of findings from the first 20 per cent hydrogen will be distributed to Networks (NGN) and Cadent and the
hydrogen blending project at the predominately heavy industry using government’s Department for Business,
House of Commons, saying: “It was a purpose-built hydrogen pipeline. Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), to
so great to see colleagues from across This hydrogen pipeline will connect provide the public with the opportunity
the sector in person. The project has hydrogen production with underground to experience a zero-emission gas-
been a resounding success in terms salt cavern storage and will also connect fuelled home of the future. The project
of the extremely challenging work of to heavy industry, power generation was made possible thanks to a £250,000
developing the safety case to enable sites and transport hubs. The hydrogen grant from the government’s Hy4Heat
blending to happen. pipeline will be the central component innovation programme.
“I visited the site at Winlaton in the to enable widespread decarbonisation Ollie took a walk around the site in
run-up to COP26 and had the pleasure of across a number of sectors in the North the weeks leading up to COP26 and said
a technical explanation of the process of West of England and will provide the afterwards: “It was fascinating to get
blending hydrogen into the local network. infrastructure to allow further carbon up to view the HyGrove hydrogen show
I also took some time to pound the streets savings to happen in the near future. homes near Gateshead and to meet

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