How a North West hydrogen village could pave the way to a Net Zero future
Whitby (Ellesmere Port) has been identified as an ideal place where a Hydrogen Village could be based
With hydrogen-ready homes on the horizon, we are starting to see what a Net Zero UK could look like in practice.
As part of an exciting new government-backed project, Whitby in Ellesmere Port could become the country’s first hydrogen village, with 2,000 homes and businesses converted to run on 100% hydrogen for cooking and heating.
The scheme, put forward by Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network, and British Gas, and supported by Cheshire West and Chester Council, is one of two areas shortlisted by the Government for the conversion, which would take place from 2025 for around two years.
Dr Tony Ballance, Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer at Cadent, said: “Hydrogen offers the chance to create a reliable, low-carbon method of heating homes, without having to make significant changes to infrastructure”.
“We’ve already carried out extensive work to prove the case for using hydrogen for heating and cooking, and the Hydrogen Village is the next exciting milestone in taking this forward.”
If Ellesmere Port is successful, every property in the selected area will see all their gas boilers swapped for new, hydrogen-ready versions. And Cadent has also guaranteed that, for the duration of the two-year programme, residents will pay the same to use hydrogen as they would for natural gas.
Jana Siber, Managing Director of British Gas Services said: “Hydrogen offers a relatively easy and cost-effective method of transitioning UK homes to a low carbon alternative to natural gas. Over the next year we will engage with the local community to explain more about this exciting project and create a demonstration centre, where people will be able to see hydrogen in action for heating and cooking, and learn more about the environmental benefits.”
Currently, the average UK household emits over 2.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, mainly by burning natural gas for heating, hot water, and cooking. Replacing natural gas with hydrogen as part of the energy mix is one option for tackling this challenge.
To find out more about the Whitby programme, go to https://hydrogenvillage.com/.
