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every kwh counts

However, there’s a gargantuan skills instead – this could be coordinated to obliterated after the closure of Rough,
shortage for heat pump installers, deliver raw biogas to biomethane sites. we need to be doing all we can to bring
customers need to be willing and able to When it comes to the extraordinary significant storage back online. Rough
afford this choice, and the Boiler Upgrade measures for natural gas supplies, is also being investigated by Centrica
Scheme (BUS) appears to be irritating part of that picture is the major LNG for being repurposed for hydrogen, so
installers already with fears it will fail producers ramping up and shipping it we would need to be aided by changes
like the Green Homes Grant. It seems to wherever it’s needed and whoever to the gas quality specifications to
unlikely, with the time needed to train has the biggest budget to satisfy their allow a wider range to enter the UK gas
installers and the low numbers of heat gas thirst. A significant issue with this system without processing.
pumps afforded by the BUS, that any is the carbon intensity of LNG, with And so what about North Sea gas?
scaled uptick in heat pump installation USA LNG from shale gas understood to Existing sites could be incentivised to
will make a material difference for next be the most damaging with a carbon increase production – and it seems that’s
winter. There’s also the matter that intensity much higher than natural sensibly being looked at as something
whenever the live efficiency (coefficient gas production in northwest Europe. we can get going before the next
of performance, or COP) drops below Another route is to maximise those heating season. We’re also presented
three next winter, the flexible generation conventional sources across northwest with the announcement of new oil
needed to meet the added load on the Europe and elsewhere, such as the and gas licences for the North Sea and
electricity system is going to be a blend Groningen field in the Netherlands – arguments about their incompatibility
of coal and gas. At those times, probably possibly a serious way of transferring with net zero. The truth is that any
when it is coldest and the system is under gas production away from Russia. credible pathway to 2050 shows a need
the most stress, it’ll be using more energy for natural gas all the way out to then
than a boiler would have been using and and beyond – and so any self-sufficiency
emitting more emissions than a boiler If we don’t manage to make to satisfy this need would derive lower
would have emitted. next winter work, then we and global emissions than importing LNG.
It would, of course, be much easier other parts of Europe may head And why can’t we start to put together
and applicable to many more houses to into gas supply emergencies. novel licences that favour the emergence
install heat pumps as hybrids alongside of a UK hydrogen market, with licences
boilers, or compact hybrid boilers with And what might that mean? that are ‘hydrogen-first’? These could
heat pumps inside the boiler unit, but Well, perhaps the potential allow natural gas to enter the global
the same installer issue persists for heat for government industrial market, but with priority always for UK
pumps in hybrids at the same time as furlough schemes to shut down blue hydrogen production demand to
the government shoots itself in the foot aid supply to developing superplaces
by excluding hybrids from the new heat manufacturing to preserve around industrial clusters and into new
pump incentive. Compact hybrids, on the domestic supplies. Let’s avoid hydrogen storage facilities.
other hand, are available on the market that kind of catastrophe and Green hydrogen also needs scaling
and can be installed by the mass of gas up to use surplus wind to produce
boiler engineers. At least hybrid appliances act collectively hydrogen from splitting water, using
can be controlled in a way to minimise electrolysers like those manufactured by
energy consumption and emissions across Groningen has been the subject of a our friends at ITM’s Gigafactory, which
the gas and electricity system. government decision to significantly is about to double in size. We should be
reduce onshore gas production as a using green hydrogen wherever we can,
INCREASING ALTERNATIVE GAS SUPPLIES result of earthquakes that have damaged like refineries, to displace fossil fuels.
Firstly – let’s maximise biomethane properties for years in that area. Using hydrogen in the gas grid, however,
entry to the gas grid. And I mean at a Ramping up production again ought to isn’t a solution for this year ahead.
pace we’ve never seen before. Some be explored, but a continental gas system This is despite the fact that blending, a
accelerating may be achievable this that benefits from this action needs to hydrogen neighbourhood and village
year to connect and flow from more consider compensating the surrounding demonstrators are just around the
new anaerobic digestion sites than were communities for their sacrifice. corner and hold so much promise for
planned to go live this year. ADBA has Onto the touchy subject of fracking, a net zero future for home heating and
pointed out that the sector is capable a lifting of the moratorium would allow other demands. Aker & DNV’s Horizon
of displacing Russian gas import investors to find out whether there are project is a great example of how one
volumes within four years, and two to volumes of gas that are economically large wind farm can supply hydrogen
three times that volume by 2030. This recoverable. And if they do end up for a net zero refinery and one million
is all at the same time as being able to producing some gas, under robust homes – but that kind of progress
supply fertiliser from the digestate that regulation and monitoring, it isn’t going doesn’t happen overnight.
can help displace disrupted supplies to help in the next 12 months. However, If we don’t manage to make next
of mineral fertiliser and capture the even if a small amount of fracked gas winter work, then we and other parts
bio-CO₂ for replacing all CO₂ used in is produced in the next few years, we of Europe may head into gas supply
UK industry. I think you call that one may just need it. The limit on allowable emergencies. And what might that
a win-win-win. Let’s also stop burning seismic activity would need a review. mean? Well, perhaps the potential for
biogas for electricity generation – it’s An earthquake has even stopped the government industrial furlough schemes
inflexible when we need flexibility, and well testing operations at a geothermal to shut down manufacturing to preserve
inefficient when we need efficiency – site in Cornwall. domestic supplies. Let’s avoid that kind
most of the energy is lost as vented heat Getting gas storage into gear is a of catastrophe and act collectively. As
to atmosphere. We need to upgrade it critical component of energy security Elon Musk says, exceptional times call
to biomethane and get it in the gas grid and pricing. With UK capacity for exceptional measures.

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