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supplier, 1kg of hydrogen can produce FIGURE 3 CONCEPT PHOTO OF MERIDIAN WATER REDEVELOPMENT
the same amount of electricity using
the fuel cell unit that 6L of diesel
typically can from a standard generator.
Therefore, a rough estimate of 7,530L
diesel was prevented from being
consumed in this trial. Burning through
this amount of diesel in a mobile
generator would typically produce:
19,730kg of CO₂⁷.
1,500kgCO₂e of NO₂⁸.
160kgCO₂e of CO⁹.
This equates to roughly 21.4 tonnes
of avoided CO₂e in total. In addition to
this, the EV chargers were used on 39
occasions, providing 780kWh of energy
in total to ‘green’ vehicles.
Recommendation for these innovative products to propel
Evaluation Following the trial, the graduate further forwards.
The trial was incredibly informative team made several business As gas distributors, Cadent’s part to
to Cadent and a wealth of knowledge recommendations, primarily: play is to enable a repurposed regional
was gained about a technology that HVO should be adopted across all gas network to distribute 100 per cent
was previously largely unfamiliar to sites now – this requires minimal hydrogen, which has been proven to
the business. Only so much can be effort or habitual change and earns be a cheap and clean way to transport
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learned from market research and a ‘quick-win’ of reduced emissions. hydrogen in the future .
conversations. To really find out how an HVO should be viewed as a transition Once GDNs achieve this transition,
innovative technology operates, it must fuel, setting the new baseline instead they will have contributed to decreasing
be closely observed in a real project out of fossil diesel. The challenge across net costs and emissions for many
in the field. The trial has proven that the industry should be transitioning to hydrogen applications, potentially
this technology can provide a viable and even cleaner fuels like green hydrogen. also including fuel cells (if purification
sustainable solution to power our sites Remain actively engaged with fuel cell technology to clean network-
in the future, but it was clear that there suppliers so that Cadent can capitalise transported hydrogen to fuel cell grade
is currently low availability of units on this solution on a greater scale once quality is also developed).
and the associated costs were volatile. more units are available for mass rollout. Genuine habitual changes to
However, this will only improve. everyday business operations, like in
Conclusion this trial, are necessary if we are to
Lessons learned Green technologies, such as fuel cells, meet the updated climate goals set at
Throughout, the team logged many are now commonly acknowledged COP26 in November last year .
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possible future improvements for the as long-term sustainable solutions, Therefore, I hope to see more fuel
next iteration of this trial. These included: but established businesses in the gas cells being utilised on sites across the
Utilise the unit’s wet heating ability industry can help to provide a foothold gas industry and beyond in 2022.
– only around 50 per cent of the
energy output leaves the system
as electricity – five per cent is lost Acknowledgements 5. Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association, “Fuel
as irrecoverable heat, with 45 per Cell & Hydrogen Energy Basics,” 1 August 2019.
cent as recoverable heat, which Cadent Capital Delivery: Neil Bethell, Mark www.fchea.org/h2-day-2019-eventsactivities/
Smethurst, Jake Tilley, Chris Packwood, Craig
is captured by cooling water. The Lambert. Cadent Graduate Engineering Team: 2019/8/1/fuel-cell-amp-hydrogen-energy-basics.
output hot water cycle could be used Lise Théron, Luke Bates, Matthew Oxley, Matthew 6. GeoPura Ltd, “100% renewable energy without
to provide wet heating systems to the Shields, Tim Atkinson. GeoPura: Andrew limits,” 2021. www.geopura.com.
site cabins, removing the need for Cunningham, Oliver Hill, Matthew Barney, Theo 7. R. Kawamoto and H. Mochizuki, “Estimation
Elmer. Fastflow Energy Solutions: Anthony Cottrell,
electrical heaters and reducing the Eoin Morrissey. of CO2 Emissions of Internal Combustion Engine
Vehicle and Battery Electric Vehicle Using LCA,”
overall electrical demand. This allows MDPI, Tokyo, 2019.
more capacity for electric vehicle References 8. P. Grace and L. Barton, “Meet N2O, the greenhouse
(EV) charging points instead. Cadent 1. Designing Buildings, “Carbon dioxide in gas 300 times worse than CO2,” The Conversation,
has recently revised its company car construction,” 14 December 2021. www. 8 December 2014. www.theconversation.com/
scheme with a heavy shift towards designingbuildings.co.uk. meet-n2o-the-greenhouse-gas-300-times-worse-
EVs, so the demand for employees to 2. Cadent, “Cadent launches Hydrogen 10 Point thanco2-35204.
charge their green vehicles on site Plan,” 11 October 2021. www.cadentgas.com. 9. IPCC, “Working Group I: The Scientific Basis,” www.
should drastically increase. 3. Enfield Council, “Meridian Water,” 2021. www. archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/index.htm
Combine more green technologies – meridianwater.co.uk. 10. Zemo Partnership, “Zemo publishes Element
the total site electrical demand could 4. Dimitriadis and I. Natsios, “Evaluation of a Energy Low Carbon Hydrogen Well-to-Tank
be supplemented by integrating solar Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and Effects Emissions Study,” Element Energy, 12 August 2021.
www.element-energy.co.uk
PV systems to increase the total site on Emissions of a Passenger Car Diesel Engine,”
capacity, while reducing the rate of Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering, 31 July 11. Hydrogen Council, “Hydrogen to contribute
over 20% of global carbon abatement by 2050,” 3
2018. www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/
hydrogen consumption, and therefore fmech.2018.00007/full. November 2021. www.hydrogencouncil.com
operating costs.

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