The UK government is making steps in implementing its green energy strategy. It plans to use green hydrogen to heat homes, buildings and an entire town by 2030.
The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) invited British gas distribution network operators in a letter to start submitting proposals for pilot projects that seek funding and explore the potential of hydrogen heating systems on various scales, up to and including entire towns.
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The green hydrogen town project is outlined in the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution released by the UK government in November 2020. The Ten Point Plan sets firm foundations for the country to tackle climate change while also transforming the economy, delivering green jobs and growth.
According to the plan, the hydrogen heating experiments are scheduled to begin in a neighborhood in 2023, followed by a large-scale village trial and a town-sized pilot scheme by 2030.
In the letter to the British gas distribution network operators, the government invites them to outline the areas of their gas networks that could be suitable for early conversion to hydrogen. It also provides details about how to apply for funding from BEIS to contribute to the cost of developing them. The project proposals should be sent by 20 January 2023.
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The UK government is working to make strategic decisions by 2026 about the role of hydrogen in heating. That is why it is reaching out to the British gas distribution network operators and others to inform these decisions. The planning work about the hydrogen town is expected to be delivered by 2025, so that the decarbonization pathway could be started to roll out in 2026.
