UK Gas Networks Plan to Deliver First Hydrogen-Fuelled Town by 2030
21 January 2021 - 11:30AM
Dow Jones News
By Jaime Llinares Taboada
U.K. gas grid companies intend to deliver the country's first
100% hydrogen-fuelled town by 2030, the Energy Networks Association
said Thursday.
National Grid PLC, Northern Gas Networks Ltd., Cadent Gas Ltd.,
Scotia Gas Networks Ltd. and Wales & West Utilities
Ltd.--which, combined, transport natural gas to 85% of British
homes--have set a framework to transform the country's gas networks
so that they can deliver hydrogen instead.
The ambition to convert a large town by 2030 is part of the
plan's pilot stage and will start with a neighborhood trial in
2023. This is as the companies want to be ready to blend hydrogen
into the gas distribution grid at up to 20% volume by 2023. In
terms of production, they expect 1 gigawatt by 2025 and 5 gigawatts
by 2030.
After that, a scaling-up phase is projected for 2030-2040, when
hydrogen production would be connected to networks and its use
would become more widespread for domestic appliances such as
heating, heavy transport and power generation. A full transition to
hydrogen as a major substitute of polluting fuels is expected to
materialize in 2040-2050.
The ENA estimates hydrogen can remove around 41 million metric
tons of carbon dioxide, or 12% of total U.K. emissions. The
deployment of hydrogen across the country could create 43,000 jobs
for industrial decarbonization alone, 195,000 if the fuel plays a
full role economy-wide, and 221,000 if Britain becomes a major
hydrogen exporter, the ENA said.
Write to Jaime Llinares Taboada at jaime.llinares@wsj.com;
@JaimeLlinaresT
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 20, 2021 19:15 ET (00:15 GMT)
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