Page 14 - Gi_November2020

hydrogen blending

stakeholders: government, gas network
companies and hydrogen producers.
But why does that matter? Here in the
UK we’ve got a world-leading gas network
and we’re hugely reliant on it. Eighty-five
per cent of homes and businesses use
the fossil gas it provides for heating,
cooking and hot water – often at the
times when we need them the most.
But we need to get rid of fossil
gas to tackle the climate emergency.
Household carbon emissions from
our heating alone need to drop from
almost three tonnes a year today to just
138kg by 2050. Blending up to 20 per
cent hydrogen into the gas grid with
PIC CAPTION L-R: RICHARD WALSH, HEAD OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, CADENT;
existing natural gas could save around JACOB YOUNG MP, CHAIR OF THE ALL PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP (APPG)
six million tonnes of carbon dioxide FOR HYDROGEN; ARNIE CRAVEN, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MANAGER, CADENT
emissions every year, the equivalent of
taking 2.5 million cars off the road. demonstration is that we will be using the government to play more of a
According to the independent the hydrogen with a wider variety of proactive role in co-ordinating industry
Committee on Climate Change, for customers and appliances to make the trial and the various different regulatory
hydrogen to be an option for reducing more representative of the UK as a whole. organisations. One of the easiest ways
emissions, early projects need to So, around 670 households and several it can do that is to set a target date for
get off the ground in the 2020s. At businesses will be using the hydrogen when the first hydrogen production
the moment, there is no large-scale blend from December 2020, following plant will be connected to the gas grid.
production of low carbon hydrogen Health and Safety Executive approval. This will give everyone involved the
in the UK and blending hydrogen into On top of these demonstrations, confidence to move forward so that we
the gas grid will help stimulate that by there’s a lot of work that needs to be can begin to realise the green benefits of
providing a secure demand base. done behind the scenes to get hydrogen using hydrogen as part of our daily lives.
Of course, customers will naturally blending and production off the ground. We were delighted that the report
ask about safety and how any change For example, the regulators need to received the support of Jacob Young
will affect them – will hydrogen have focus on the non-technical aspects to MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary
an impact on the way people use their ensure that networks are ready and Group for Hydrogen, on the day of its
cookers, heating and hot water? able to accept hydrogen as soon as launch. He said: “Hydrogen has the
We’ve been running a world-leading production is available. The report potential to play a major role in the
live demonstration of hydrogen details what is needed in this area, UK’s economic recovery from Covid-19,
blending at Keele University, partnering such as the commercial regime, and and offers a compelling pathway
with Northern Gas Networks and metering arrangements. towards supporting the decarbonisation
with the approval of the Health and At the moment, only 0.1 per cent of heating, transport and industrial
Safety Executive. This project is called of the gas in Britain’s network of gas processes. However, to play that role,
HyDeploy. That trial has consisted of pipelines is allowed to be hydrogen, by it is now more important than ever for
up to 20 per cent hydrogen blended law. We think the time is now right to hydrogen production to be ramped
with fossil gas and used for heating start looking at how we change that law up – and the commercial framework
and cooking in 100 homes on the Keele so that a 20 per cent blend is allowed. for hydrogen blending outlined in
University campus, via a private gas Once innovation and safety trials Cadent’s report offers a really good way
network. Customer response has been have progressed to the next stage, that to achieve that.
overwhelmingly positive, particularly will allow gas networks to start blending “Building a world-leading hydrogen
since they hardly had to do anything far larger amounts of hydrogen into the economy will have massive positive
during the changeover. grid – creating the demand for hydrogen benefits, creating high-skilled
The theory that we can blend that will help get the industry we need jobs, driving economic growth and
hydrogen safely with natural gas is well- to produce it off to a flying start. The improving the environment. Cadent’s
established. However, this first phase report sets out the details of how gas report is another step on the journey
has proven that theory works safely networks can work with hydrogen towards that hydrogen economy, and I
in practice, with no impact on the way producers to do that. am happy to support it.”
people use their gas boilers or cookers. To do that, and to ensure that We will continue to work hard with
The second phase will follow the we’ve got enough hydrogen, we need our peers across the gas industry to
same approach used at Keele, but on a persuade the government to include
public network near Gateshead in the hydrogen in its forthcoming energy
north-east of England. It will use the We need to get rid of fossil gas strategy, so that it can work alongside
same technology that has been tested to tackle the climate emergency. renewables and other sources of energy
and approved in the first phase, with Household carbon emissions to enable the UK to meet its net zero
the same rigorous approach to safety from our heating alone need to target by 2050.
and the same Gas Safe checks for
customers’ appliances. drop from almost three tonnes a You can read more about Cadent’s
The main difference with this year today to just 138kg by 2050 hydrogen work at www.hydeploy.com

14

15/10/2020 10:47
CadentFutureEconomics.indd 3 15/10/2020 10:47
CadentFutureEconomics.indd 3