Wales & West Utilities gets funding for creation of hydrogen hubs

With financing for a new research project, Wales & West Utilities is trying to create “hydrogen hubs” to aid in lowering emissions from heat and transportation together.

The gas distribution business, in collaboration with Guidehouse, National Grid Electricity Distribution, RWE, and Pembrokeshire County Council, will take the lead on the three-month feasibility study.

In order to enable the decarbonization of transportation and heating at the lowest possible cost to consumers, the project will examine the viability of hybrid hydrogen and district heating systems.

Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle technology is seen as a reliable choice to decarbonize vehicles at a time when both the government and business are looking for effective solutions to decarbonize heat and transportation. Green hydrogen’s viability as a solution for a wider range of applications would be improved by lowering the cost of its production and distribution.

Using the electrolysis waste heat could help lower manufacturing costs while providing low carbon heating options for homes, companies, and public structures. Electrolysis is the method used to create green hydrogen.

In order to keep the cost of hydrogen for customers as low as possible, this project will look for alternatives for the co-location of heat demand and electrolytic hydrogen refuelling stations.

In order to integrate the response to various energy demands and facilitate effective infrastructure provision, partners will investigate revenue stacking and financial optimisation of electrolysers. They will also investigate how much taking advantage of these chances will aid in reducing the risk associated with development projects.

The project is anticipated to provide a number of advantages, including lower operational costs for the gas and electricity networks, lower customer energy bills, and favourable environmental effects. The undertaking will last till June 30th, 2023.

Via the Strategic Innovation Fund, a programme run by the UK’s independent energy regulator Ofgem in collaboration with Innovate UK, this project is sponsored by energy network users and consumers.