Several of the manufacturer’s existing systems have been certified to operate with a 20% hydrogen gas blend as part of an optional accreditation process.
Remeha has gained optional third-party certification to ensure that a range of its existing boilers can operate on a gas blend containing up to 20% hydrogen.
The firm stated that it chose to seek accreditation from established notification bodies in order to sell its Quinta Ace, Gas 220 Ace, and Gas 320/620 Ace boilers as being completely prepared to work on a blended gas if it is introduced to the national grid. Recent research has discovered that existing boilers in the United Kingdom may safely operate on a hydrogen blend without requiring significant technological upgrades.
A factory spokesman stated that the manufacturer chose to pursue certification as a means of futureproofing its systems in the event that a decision is made to begin blending natural gas and hydrogen as a lower carbon alternative to the current grid.
According to Rehema, the first phase of the cross-industry HyDeploy project concluded that no additional measures, guidance, or actions were required to ensure that existing condensing boilers on the market could operate with a hydrogen blend of up to 20%.
Additional guidance on the suitability of existing boilers to operate on this blend is contained in the March 2021 Gas Safe Register Technical Bulletin 159.
According to a Remeha spokeswoman, all existing boilers on the market were suitable for use with a hydrogen blend under this advice – but the company wanted to ensure public confidence in the event of a transition.
Any change to a blended gas network could serve as a first step toward transitioning from a natural gas grid to a hydrogen-only network. This would necessitate the introduction of new boiler systems capable of working entirely on hydrogen, with numerous prototypes already tested by manufacturers.
In the UK, research is currently ongoing to determine the role hydrogen could play in heating houses and buildings, with the government set to make a decision on how to proceed with hydrogen use in 2026.
Remeha stressed the importance of distinguishing the certification of its current boilers from the ‘Hydrogen-ready’ standard. This is a standard that has been agreed upon by a number of notable boiler manufacturers for technologies that can be converted to run entirely on hydrogen in the event of future network conversion.
