The UK's first live hydrogen fuel trial, designed to help reduce
UK CO2 emissions and reach the Government's net zero target for
2050, is yielding positive results and shedding first light on
consumer views.
HyDeploy is a
ground-breaking green energy demonstration, supplying a blend of up
to 20% hydrogen by volume with natural gas to 130 homes and faculty
buildings at Keele University in Staffordshire.
Five months into the pilot, lead project partner Cadent has
issued a project update revealing that, so far, gas appliances
using the blend are functioning normally and householders and
campus businesses haven't noticed any differences to their gas
supply.
The update also provides fascinating insight from the social
science being conducted as part of the pilot, revealing the
emerging views of consumers using the hydrogen blend in their
homes.
Social acceptance is recognised as an important factor in
transitioning from one technology to another and research into the
perceptions of hydrogen blending among residents is also a key part
of the pilot.
HSE, through its Research and Consultancy services, is one of
the HyDeploy project partners and has been overseeing all technical
and safety aspects of the project.
Using facilities at the HSE Science and Research Centre at
Buxton in Derbyshire, HSE has conducted extensive research into the
effect of hydrogen on the different materials found in the gas
network. HSE, together with other project partners, has also
carried out laboratory tests on a range of gas appliances, prior to
the live trial.
The pilot is demonstrating that a blend of up to 20% hydrogen
can reduce climate-damaging carbon emissions from heating the
nation's homes, while at the same time enabling customers to use
their gas supply as normal, without any changes needed to gas
appliances or pipework.
The project, which paused hydrogen blending during the Covid-19
lockdown, is now making preparations to resume blending.
Read the Cadent project update in full.