Government prepares to expand domestic hydrogen trials in 2024
Separate real-world trials to test the distribution of hydrogen gas to heat homes is scheduled to start next year, updated government guidance states.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the UK should be considered a “world leader” in work to investigate the use of hydrogen for a range of heating functions including domestic and commercial use.
It has therefore reiterated its commitment to back industry efforts to commence a neighbourhood trial of domestic hydrogen heating in 2024.
This is still scheduled to be followed in 2025 by a larger ‘hydrogen village’ trial.
The findings from these trials are expected to offer important evidence on the practicalities of whether hydrogen can be an effective means of heat in homes.
The 2021 UK Heat and Buildings Strategy saw the government pledging to drastically scale up the use of heat pumps and lower carbon district heating to help decarbonise the majority of UK homes.
However, the government’s flagship heating plan also committed to take a decision by 2026 on whether it would also back some use of hydrogen as a replacement for natural gas heating.
Part of this work will consider if there is sufficient evidence to show there is a compelling economic and technical case to supply the gas to heat homes alongside its potential for use in harder to decarbonise sectors such as transport and industrial use.