According to the firm, the HyDeploy project saw up to 20% hydrogen blended with natural gas on its public network in Winlaton, supplying 668 homes, a church, and a school for 11 months. Northern Gas Networks has said, its customers continued to use their gas supply and appliances as normal, without any need for changes to appliances such as boilers, cookers, fires or pipework.
Read more: UK village to be first to be powered by hydrogen on public gas network
One Winalton resident, Biba Thompson, said, “There was no difference to using our gas when it contained the hydrogen. I am the sheltered scheme officer for some housing in the pilot area and everyone here was enthusiastic about doing their bit to reverse the effects of climate change and agreed that it was great that our small village in the North East was chosen for such a ground-breaking pilot.”
The trial success comes as a leap forward for hydrogen being viewed as a viable alternative to heat homes and businesses in UK as the Government strives to meet its Net Zero targets by 2050.
H2 View understands the report of findings from the Winlaton project will be submitted to the Government later in 2022, ahead of a decision on the wider blending of hydrogen into the UK gas network, due to be made in 2023.
Fergal O’Donovan, Hydrogen Programme Manager at Northern Gas Networks, said, “We’re delighted to have successfully completed blending hydrogen into the gas supply at Winlaton.
“The recent unprecedented hot weather has brought the need to tackle climate change to the forefront of people’s mind and this project has demonstrated that hydrogen blending can play a role in decarbonising heat with no disruption. We’d like to thank the residents of Winlaton for their participation and support in this vital demonstration.”
The HyDeploy project in 2021 saw 100 homes and approximately 30 commercial buildings on a closed network at Keele University successfully use the hydrogen blend over 18 months.
Read more: HyDeploy completes successful hydrogen blend trial
The gas network operator has said HyDeploy is continuing projects testing the use of hydrogen for heat at the Hydrogen Homes as Low Thornley, where 100% hydrogen can be seen in a show home boiler, cooker, hob, fire and barbecue.
Inside the UK’s first hydrogen homes
It’s been described as an “underwhelming” visit because they look like any two typical semi-detached properties that you’d find in the UK today. But these two homes in Gateshead you see pictured couldn’t be more different; they’re the first in the country to be entirely powered by hydrogen.
And that’s what makes this demonstration project so exciting. Not only is it providing the public with the experience of a zero-emission gas-powered home of tomorrow, but they can see first-hand that actually that future doesn’t look much different to today.
“Familiar is probably the key word,” James Whitmore, Innovation Manager of Strategy and Future of Gas at Cadent, told H2 View. “To a member of the public visiting, they wouldn’t think these homes would look or feel any different. If we hadn’t badged the appliances up as ‘hydrogen appliances’, you would not tell the difference.”
Click here to keep reading.