Five of the UK's gas suppliers have released plans detailing their transition to supplying hydrogen to domestic and industrial properties. The project involves National Grid, SGN, Cadent, Wales and West Utilities and Northern Gas Networks developing a distribution network for the distribution of hydrogen that will be blended with natural gas.
The hybrid natural gas and hydrogen distribution network will supply a village in northeast England. They will be able to provide facilities for refuelling zero-carbon road vehicles, with a total development cost expected to be in the region of £24B.
The energy distribution network will carry a blended mix of natural gas and hydrogen in an 80%/20% ratio mix, that will be used for domestic heating and cooking purposes. The network is expected to be operational in early 2026, through a hydrogen production facility capable of delivering 1GW of energy by late 2025.
The UK government is encouraging the development of blended natural gas and hydrogen distribution networks to maintain and increase the security of British energy supplies. However, much development work has yet to be completed to ensure the safety of networks using blended natural gas and hydrogen.
The first homes in the UK, consisting of two semi-detached properties in Gateshead, were opened in July 2021, with domestic appliances fuelled solely by hydrogen, which burns without generating any carbon emissions. Household appliances comprising a mix of appliance types produced by different innovative manufacturers are being trialled for up to 10 years.
Hydrogen can be produced from diverse resources and is the most abundant potential fuel in the environment, being stored in water and methane, amongst a range of other organic compounds. However, one of the significant issues to be overcome is unlocking hydrogen from the many sources effectively and efficiently to make it a viable alternative fuel option.
Steam reforming, which combines extremely hot steam with natural gas to extract hydrogen, is the prevalent hydrogen production method. Using electrolysis is more intense in its use of alternative energy forms. It is one of many different ways in which hydrogen can be extracted.
The critical issue is that hydrogen extraction must be economically viable while not harming global warming by producing additional greenhouse gasses. Using renewable wind or solar energy avoids the harmful emissions associated with using fossil fuels. It is hoped that through wind farms in the northeast, the cost of hydrogen production will decrease to levels where prices are comparable with current fuel sources. The advantages of using hydrogen include:
- It is emissions-free, with water as the only by-product of its use.
- Hydrogen is the world's most abundant form of energy.
- The energy intensity of hydrogen is exceptionally high.
- For vehicles, range and refuelling times are comparable with fossil fuels.
The use of hydrogen is being considered in several different industries, ranging from sea to air. Fuel cells that utilise hydrogen can convert up to 90 per cent of its energy into heat or electrical power; fuel cell vehicles have a range of 350-450 miles and can be refuelled as quickly and efficiently as fossil-fuelled vehicles.
Airbus Industries has
plans to produce hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035, as hydrogen is a fuel that
has an energy unit mass that is three times that of jet fuel, and has the potential
to power aircraft over longer distances, at a cost that makes the development
of hydrogen fuel sources viable for the industry, but without the production of
by-product CO2 emissions.
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