A groundbreaking trial will inject zero-carbon hydrogen into the UK’s natural gas network

A first-of-its-kind energy trial launched in the UK yesterday will explore the potential for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by as much as 6m tonnes a year by using more hydrogen to heat homes.

The HyDeploy project, which aims to blend up to 20 per cent hydrogen into the normal gas supply, is being led by gas network Cadent in partnership with Northern Gas Networks.

Hydrogen does not produce any CO2 when burned, just water and heat. If hydrogen were blended with natural gas across the UK at a similar level to HyDeploy, it could prevent the equivalent CO2 emissions of 2.5m cars.

Read more: Is there still a future for hydrogen power?

The one-year live trial will be held at Keele University on its private gas network and will determine the level of hydrogen which could be used by gas customers safely without making any changes to their behaviour or domestic appliances.

The UK is committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 from a 1990 baseline, but while progress has been made to decarbonise the electricity system, very little has been done to decarbonise heat, argued David Parkin, the director of safety and network strategy at Cadent.

Cadent hopes the project will spur a wider roll out, though it is unlikely that would occur until the mid-2020s.

“We’re very focused at Cadent on a future hydrogen economy across the UK. This project is a stepping stone to a fundamentally changing energy landscape over the next few decades,” Parkin said.

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