Northern Gas Networks (NGN) joined fellow gas distributer Cadent, the Health & Safety Executive and a consortium of hydrogen industry experts in London on Wednesday 3rd April , for an update on blended hydrogen project HyDeploy.
This Network Innovation Competition-funded programme is exploring blending 20% hydrogen into the natural gas network in order to reduce carbon emissions, with no need for customers to change their behaviour or appliances.
NGN CEO Mark Horsley with Alex Sobel MP and Cadet Safety Director Simon Fairman.
Around 100 stakeholders from across industry, academia, media and government attended the launch in Westminster, including keynote speakers Alex Sobel MP (Lab, Leeds North West) and BEIS Senior Policy Adviser Matt Hitchens.
NGN’s CEO Mark Horsley joined the panel, for a Q&A discussion which centred around the recent Spring Statement and government proposals for greater amounts of ‘green gas’ into the grid and the challenges to rollout. The importance of choice for customers, in terms of which types of energy solutions they use, was central to the debate, as was the huge potential for economic growth and job creation.
Meantime, HyDeploy Lead Adam Madgett spoke about the enabling policies and pathways required for commercial rollout of blended hydrogen, once the Renewable Heat Incentive ends in 2021.
After the HSE last year granted an exemption to blend hydrogen into the Keele University gas network, a 12 month trial will begin later this autumn.
NGN will lead a wider trial at a location on its public network in the North East in 2020, while Cadent will follow with a second public trial on their North West network in 2021.