Page 28 - Gi flipbook June/July 2018

THE GAS NETWORK

OF THE (NEAR) FUTURE

Deployment of hydrogen across the gas network could help the room of how UK politicians will
decarbonise the UK’s energy usage. But just how feasible is persuade most householders to
it? Gi hears Kiwa Energy’s case for the H2 economy dramatically lower their carbon
emissions. The conversion (as in the
1970s) would initially be paid for by
n February 2012, Mark Crowther, network operator (GDNO) projects to the gas companies, who would earn a
Technical Director of Kiwa investigate the safety and practical regulated return on their investment.
Energy, first addressed the aspects of distributed hydrogen. Studies to date indicate the cost
Department for Business, Energy Hydrogen can replace energy use for would be very substantially less than
I and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) heat (boilers), transport (cars to HGV), an all-electric world.
(then DECC) on the potential for and process use without major societal Conversion to hydrogen involves
repurposing the existing gas grid to change. This is always an easier sell to none of the major infrastructural work
use hydrogen, similar to the change consumers; householders will keep of total electrification or move to
made in the 1970s from town gas (50 their combi-boilers, still refuel their district heat. It can be relatively
per cent v/v hydrogen) to natural gas. cars in a few minutes in a filling station cheaply manufactured from natural gas
This lead to the safety work at and industry can keep its furnaces. with the resulting carbon dioxide
HyHouse, to the NGN Leeds H21 By virtue of the simplicity of removed for long term storage; about
project and currently to the conversion (a few hours per property) 50 million tonnes of hydrogen are
multimillion BEIS and gas distribution hydrogen can address the elephant in currently made per year across the

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