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Gas companies publish plans to blend hydrogen into UK grid from next year
Published January 24, 2022
Britain’s five gas grid companies have published plans to replace up to 20% of the nation’s gas with hydrogen from 2023.
The Energy Networks Association (ENA) has published plans setting out how the gas companies will meet the Government’s target to blend hydrogen into the UK’s network of gas pipes.
According to the document, ‘Britain’s Hydrogen Blending Delivery Plan’, up to a fifth of the UK’s current natural gas consumption could be replaced by hydrogen. The Plan estimates that blending this proportion of hydrogen into the gas grid would reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of 2.5 million cars a year. UK power plants would also be able to use the blended hydrogen to generate electricity.
The Plan sets out a timeline for the replacement and suggests this can be achieved by following either a free market or a ‘strategic’ approach. It also describes the legal changes required of Government and regulatory bodies to enable gas network companies to start blending hydrogen.
Last summer, the gas network companies set up a demonstration project in Winlaton, Gateshead to show blending hydrogen into the public gas network is feasible and safe.
The ENA is also calling on the UK Government to double the amount off hydrogen produced in the UK from 5GW to 10GW by 2030. David Smith, Chief Executive of Energy Networks Association, said: “What’s key is that the Government does its bit too by lifting its target for homegrown hydrogen production this decade. Doing that today will help gas grid companies deliver for tomorrow.”
