Hydrogen heating: overview
Published 18 March 2024
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hydrogen-heating-overview/hydrogen-heating-overview--2
Heating our homes and workplaces with low carbon heat is one of the best things we can do to help combat climate change. Currently, heating all the buildings in the UK produces almost a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions. There are about 30 million homes in the UK and 85% of them use natural gas for heating.
In 2019 the UK became the first major economy to pass laws to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Meeting our net zero target will require virtually all heat in buildings to be decarbonised, and heat in industry to be reduced to close to zero carbon emissions. The government already supports existing low carbon heat options like heat pumps and heat networks. These technologies will be the primary means of decarbonisation for the foreseeable future. There is also the potential for hydrogen to play a role in slower time in some locations.
Unlike other technologies, 100% hydrogen for heating is not yet an established technology. Further work is required to understand the feasibility, costs, and convenience of transporting 100% hydrogen in the gas grid and using hydrogen for heating and cooking.
There could be some good reasons to use hydrogen. It might be possible to repurpose large parts of our existing gas networks to transport hydrogen for heat. We already use gas boilers in our homes and a hydrogen boiler could be similar and may be simple to install.
Building the evidence base for hydrogen heating
We need to do more work to understand how much hydrogen heating would cost if the gas grid can be used to transport it and how it could work in our homes. The government set out a number of key commitments to build an evidence base on hydrogen for heating in the UK Hydrogen Strategy and British Energy Security Strategy.
We will draw upon evidence from the neighbourhood trial in Scotland (H100 Fife), a wide range of trials across Europe, and our broader research, development, and testing programme.
The government decided in December 2023 not to proceed with a hydrogen trial in Redcar as the main source of hydrogen supply was not available in time. Northern Gas Network’s (NGN) early planning work for this trial has provided valuable evidence to support policy decisions, in particular building survey data, grid conversion plans, and consumer research.
The H100 Fife neighbourhood trial
Construction on H100 Fife is underway. It is being funded by SGN with contributions from its gas network partners Cadent, Northern Gas Networks (NGN), Wales and West Utilities, alongside Ofgem and the Scottish Government.
H100 Fife will supply hydrogen to around 300 opted-in homes through a new network laid parallel with the existing natural gas network. The hydrogen used will be green, produced by an electrolyser powered by an offshore wind turbine.
This trial will provide a wide range of evidence including costs, risk management, constructing and operating a hydrogen network, and domestic consumers’ experience of using hydrogen in homes. Find out more about H100 Fife.
How we will make the decision on hydrogen heating
The government is working with industry, regulators, and others to deliver a range of research, development, and testing projects to help establish the evidence required to inform decisions in 2026 on the role of hydrogen in heat decarbonisation.
The government will make full use of this information to take robust, evidence-based decisions in 2026 on whether, and if so how, hydrogen will contribute to heating decarbonisation. We will also consider the latest evidence with respect to other low carbon heat technologies and the relative merits of different approaches, taking into account the full range of potential costs, benefits and delivery challenges.
Safety
Safety is fundamental. As with natural gas, measures will be needed to ensure that hydrogen is stored, distributed, and used in a safe way. We are working with industry and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to identify any changes and safety measures which may be required and assess their costs and feasibility.
Before H100 Fife can go ahead the HSE will need to be satisfied that it will be run safely. If HSE is satisfied that the evidence demonstrates that SGN can run the trial safely, it will write to SGN, Ofgem and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero setting out the conclusions of its assessment. All parties will need to consider the conclusions of HSE’s assessment before the trial goes ahead. HSE does not have the powers to approve or authorise a trial but HSE will maintain an ongoing role as independent regulator throughout the trial and will conduct targeted, risk-based inspections.
Find more about the HSE’s role on 100% hydrogen heating.
International activity and research
International activity
Other countries are also looking at the option of hydrogen heating. The Netherlands is running two small-scale trials of domestic hydrogen heating including one exploring hybrid hydrogen heat pumps, and another is underway in Germany. We are engaging with other countries to understand how they are approaching heat decarbonisation, and the role hydrogen could play, and learn from any further projects that are planned.
Research
Decisions on heat decarbonisation are among the most important decisions we will take on the way to net zero. It is important that government develops its own analysis and evidence to inform these decisions, that considers the specific circumstances in the UK. We also regularly review external research, including some independent studies which suggest that hydrogen isn’t a good option for heating. Many of these studies are not UK specific, and don’t consider the whole picture involved. Most only look at a binary choice between hydrogen and electrification, rather than the more mixed approach we are considering, where hydrogen could play a role in some locations. Some UK-specific independent studies do suggest that hydrogen could have some role in heat decarbonisation but also have limitations that need to be overcome through more research.