We’re delighted to announced that Ofgem has granted £500,000 innovation funding to Northern Gas Networks for delivery of five new projects aimed at accelerating the transition to net zero.

The funding is part of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), a pot of £450 million supporting 40 projects between now and 2026, which tackle different aspects of the challenge facing the UK as it works towards achieving its 2050 Climate Change Act commitments..

The SIF is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Our Innovation team will be delivering the projects alongside strategic partners including Citizens Advice, National Grid Gas Transmission, National Energy Action, Newcastle University, Eversholts Rail, Durham University, Transport for the North, Wright Bus, Herriot Watt University, Element Energy, Synnovate, and Northern Powergrid.

Richard Hynes-Cooper, Head of Innovation at Northern Gas Networks said:

“We’re delighted to have secured the funding for our five projects targeted specifically at the energy transition and ultimately to delivering zero carbon energy faster for customers.

“It’s an exciting time. We believe in a whole systems approach to decarbonising our energy system, where different energy types work together – gas, electricity and transport – to increase reliability, reduce costs and pass on benefits to energy customers.”

The five projects include:

• Analysing thermal imagery to assess the fluid and pressure condition of pipes to explore the internal characteristics of and simulate change impacts

• Customer Energy Village (CEV): Understanding the barriers to adopting energy efficient measures in homes and identifying future impacts on energy networks

• Investigating if power generated from gas flow within the network can support system digitalisation ​and can be stored or fed back into the grid.

• Developing a rail decarbonisation strategy to feed into electricity and gas infrastructure investment and strategic planning decision making

• Evaluating the potential use of hydrogen in heavy duty transport to create a joined-up, regional strategy to cost-effectively, kick-start the hydrogen economy in the North