Page 18 - Gi February 2019 - flipbook

The gas is greener

workforces would be required,
working in parallel.
“We learned a lot from studying the
way homes and businesses were
converted to natural gas in the 1960s
and 70s, and have applied those
lessons to this scenario.”

FUNDING THE PROJECT
The new infrastructure needed would
fall under the normal regulatory
frameworks, to socialise costs and
ensure a level playing field for
industry and customers.
The report sets out how costs would
be minimised by using a similar model
The report sets out how costs would to the one used to pay for the gas and
be minimised by using a similar model electricity networks, spreading the cost
over all UK bills over several years, in
to the one used to pay for the gas and order to ensure the least possible
impact on customers.
electricity networks, spreading the At present, it’s expected such a
cost over all UK bills over several years, significant investment would need to
be funded through the price control.
in order to ensure the least possible ESTABLISHING THE

impact on customers WORLD’S LEADING
HYDROGEN ECONOMY
With an estimated 10,000 new jobs
avoid the requirement to recompress capacity for storing CO2. required to build the new hydrogen
the hydrogen when exiting the caverns. “It’s just a question of engineering production facility alone, H21 North of
To transport the hydrogen from the up to the required volumes for H21 England would be a major driver of
production facility and storage North of England.” employment and skills.
location, a new hydrogen transmission Under the H21 proposals, the “It has the potential to establish the
system would be needed, as well as a captured carbon dioxide would be UK as the world’s leading hydrogen
local hydrogen transmission system transported offshore for storage in a economy,” confirmed Owen.
and intermediate pressure system. 20 million tonnes per annum carbon “The potential to create well paid
However, by making full use of the capture storage scheme. skilled jobs, establish global expertise,
existing gas distribution network, the and be able to export our knowledge
total pipeline infrastructure requirements CONVERSION OF HOMES around the globe is hugely exciting.
would be comparatively modest. AND BUSINESSES “And with the creation of a UK-wide
Owen explains: “The new high In a programme reminiscent of the hydrogen network would come many
pressure pipelines would represent conversion of the UK from town gas to more opportunities, beyond just
just four per cent of the existing natural gas more than five decades heating homes and businesses.
national transmission system, while ago, H21 would approach hydrogen “For example, it would allow us to
the low pressure mains required conversion by repurposing small build hydrogen vehicle fuelling
represent just 0.2 per cent of the sections of our network one step at a stations, and could facilitate low
existing network.” time, slowly expanding the hydrogen carbon electricity at both local and
system across each major urban centre. national level.
CARBON CAPTURE The conversion process would take The benefits of a hydrogen based
One of the key questions for the H21 North place over seven years (2028-2034) energy system appear significant and
of England report is: Can we capture during the summer, to avoid would position the UK at the
and store CO2 at the scale required? unnecessary disruption during the forefront of this low carbon
With more than 20 years’ colder months. It is envisaged the technology. The potential for good
experience of carbon capture and work would require around 3,000 jobs and highly skilled workers,
storage, H21 partner Equinor is plumbers, supported by a smaller combined with clean energy, could
confident this is achievable. group of management and have a profound impact in the UK for
Dr Philip Ringrose, a CCS specialist administrative staff. years to come.” ■
for Equinor, said: “In the North of Owen adds: “Within the North of
England, there are large rock England, there are over 3.7 million ■ To read the full H21
formations that can take the volumes meter points. To convert these gas North of England report,
required. The geological formations customers within a seven-year visit www.northern
have been mapped and there is huge timescale, we anticipate three district gasnetworks.co.uk/h21

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