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THE MISSION (CCC) report, Net Zero – the UK’s

Contribution to Stopping Global Warming,
sets out in clear terms the case for the
UK to have net zero greenhouse gas
FOR TRANSITION emissions by 2050, and the need to
tackle at pace the decarbonisation of
hard-to-reach areas of energy use.
Space heating, currently dominated
by natural gas boilers, still represents
a major obstacle to reaching such
targets. Various options are possible
Transitioning to Hydrogen is the result of a cross-professional in engineering terms but all have
engineering institution collaboration between IGEM, the their challenges. Given the scale of the
challenge, effort is needed on all fronts.
Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Institution of Electrical solutions such as heat
Engineering and Technology, the Institution of Mechanical pumps will require a large expansion of
Engineers and the Health and Safety Laboratory. Here, the electricity system, in particular its
peaking capacity, and modifications to
Dr Robert Sansom, of the IET Energy Panel and lead author buildings themselves.
of the report, presents the key recommendations District heating has considerable
appeal but comes with substantial
infrastructure challenges. Biofuels and
geothermal heating potentially have
their places, but hydrogen through the
existing gas system can be a credible
solution at scale that has received
limited attention until recently.

From an engineering
perspective there is no reason
why hydrogen at scale cannot
be achieved safely, but there are
several risks and uncertainties
which need to be investigated.

This report is thus timely. It presents
an assessment of the engineering
deliverability of hydrogen through
the gas system and into homes and
businesses. The authors are engineers
– experts in the field – and by working
through their professional engineering
institutions, the work has an assurance
of independence.
They conclude that following
completion of the iron mains
replacement programme, already
underway for other reasons, the gas
system will be able to carry hydrogen
safely, but they also identify a range
of engineering questions that require
resolution before a commitment to
hydrogen at scale can be made with
full confidence.
From an engineering perspective
ver the last few years, serious electricity, district heating and carbon- there is no reason why hydrogen
consideration has been given based gases, high-purity hydrogen has at scale cannot be achieved safely,
to the repurposing of the gas not been deployed at scale anywhere but there are several risks and
network to pure hydrogen so in the world. This puts hydrogen at a uncertainties which need to be
O that it can be used by industry, distinct disadvantage and so any case investigated. The industry is making
in homes and businesses, and to to deploy hydrogen will need to be good progress, but there remain
contribute to the decarbonisation of sufficiently compelling to compensate several areas yet to be addressed.
the UK’s energy sector. for this lack of experience. It is important to emphasise that
Unlike other energy vectors, such as The Committee on Climate Change’s this report makes no judgement on

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