The testing is going place on a piece of abandoned property where gas pipes that originally fed residences on the site have been severed from the rest of the network, despite the fact that they are all still functional.
The information acquired will be used to determine any improvements that may be required for the future conversion of the gas distribution network to carry clean-burning hydrogen.
To assist mitigate the effects of climate change, the United Kingdom has set a goal of attaining net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Natural gas, which is utilized by 85 percent of houses linked to the gas grid, is responsible for over 30 percent of the UK’s carbon emissions, but hydrogen does not release carbon when consumed, thus it might be more environmentally friendly for heating and cooking alternative.
The South Bank study is part of the H21 project, a significant joint hydrogen initiative coordinated by NGN to investigate the viability of the UK’s current gas network to transport hydrogen.
The massive assets that presently provide a secure, durable, and dependable supply of heat to the nation’s homes and companies would be used to create a hydrogen-fueled gas network. Customers would be forced to replace gas equipment in their houses, including boilers and stoves, with equivalent hydrogen counterparts that would operate with existing radiators, in a manner similar to the natural gas conversion of the 1960s and 1970s.
Because roughly 70 residences were demolished on the property between Ann Street and Harcourt Road over a decade ago, the test location was chosen.
“There are many different operations carried out on the gas network on a day to day basis, and it’s crucial we understand how they may need to be altered to guarantee hydrogen can be supplied as securely and reliably as natural gas,” said Neil Travers, H21 Project Manager for Northern Gas Networks. Off-grid research has previously been conducted, but the distinction at the South Bank is that we are employing older gas mains for the first time, as are common in many streets across the UK. We think this is a world first, and we’re thrilled to be at Teesside, where plans for hydrogen production and the prospect of a larger hydrogen economy are already in the works.
The project comprises the installation of two household hydrogen boilers in addition to network testing. The boilers, which are made by prominent manufacturers Vaillant and Baxi, have been networked and utilize hydrogen, which has been odorized to smell like natural gas for the first time.
“Natural gas, like hydrogen, is odorless,” Neil Travers explained, “therefore a unique and well-recognized smell is supplied to alert everyone of a probable gas leak.” Following decades of acclimating the public to natural gas’s characteristic odor, it is believed that if hydrogen is widely employed in the gas network, it would be odoured in the same way. This is another global first for Teesside as part of this initiative, which is quite exciting.”
“Teesside has firmly established itself as the go-to place for developing ground-breaking net-zero technology, and Northern Gas Networks’ research is yet another in the long list of innovative projects that are putting our region at the forefront of the development of cleaner, healthier, and safer industries of the future,” said Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen. We’ve long been a pioneer in hydrogen, generating more than half of the UK’s hydrogen and driving forward research and development into hydrogen vehicle deployment, so this initiative will expand our local knowledge and skills even further.
“Through world-leading initiatives like this, we’re getting on with delivering on our net-zero aspirations throughout Teesside, Darlington, and Hartlepool, providing thousands of good-quality employment for local employees in the process.”
“This is tremendously exciting and, once again, positions our borough right at the heart of the green industrial revolution,” said Mary Lanigan, Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. This study has enormous promise, and it’s fantastic that we’re right at the start. I’d like to thank NGN for producing this exam, which will be widely publicized.”
“This world-leading trial from Northern Gas Networks is placing Redcar on the map as a real pioneer for hydrogen,” says Jacob Young, Conservative MP for Redcar. Although 85 percent of residences are still connected to the gas network, it is evident that transitioning our gas network to 100 percent hydrogen is the way of the future.
“Teesside is obviously the UK’s epicenter for innovative hydrogen technology, and it’s only fair that our region, which was at the forefront of the first Industrial Revolution, should now be at the forefront of our green Industrial Revolution.”
NGN will now use the location for many months to gather evidence and gain a better understanding of the gas network’s potential conversion. NGN will return the site to its previous condition once the work is completed.
