HyDeploy's Story
The results of the HyDeploy trial, led by Cadent Gas in partnership with Keele University, Progressive Energy and others, demonstrated that hydrogen can be blended at up to 20% into natural gas networks with no adverse effects for users, but with the potential to reduce carbon emissions. The success of the trial has led to a larger trial in North East England.
The trial ran at Keele University throughout 2020, with 30 campus buildings and 100 private homes on Keele's gas network using blended gas for heating and cooking appliances. As well as the University undertaking social research, its campus was the perfect choice for the trial thanks to having its own private gas network, making it an ideal place to test new energy technologies at a smaller scale.
The year-long trial saw more than 42,000 cubic metres of hydrogen blended into the gas network, which has resulted in 27 tonnes of CO2 being saved from entering the atmosphere.
If rolled out nationally, a 20% blend of hydrogen could remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere equivalent to taking 2.5m cars off the road, and all without changes to current heating and cooking appliances.
Steve Fraser, Chief Executive of Cadent, said: "HyDeploy is a ground-breaking collaboration and has demonstrated very clearly that consumers can safely receive up to 20% hydrogen blended with natural gas, without the need to make any changes to their existing appliances.
"With eight in 10 of our homes in the UK heated by natural gas – it is an energy we are familiar with. Adopting hydrogen blending across the gas networks would save carbon emissions equivalent to removing 2.5m cars from our roads – a huge step towards Net Zero.
"Importantly customers experienced no disruption and felt positively towards using hydrogen and the trial. Blending hydrogen into the natural gas network is a critical stepping-stone in helping the UK reach Net Zero by 2050."
Residents who used the blended gas during the trial at Keele reported positive results, with one saying simply: "It works. There's been no impact in terms of us, we've not lost gas at all, there have been no issues with heating whatsoever to the house."
Professor Trevor McMillan, Vice-Chancellor of Keele University said: "Hydrogen is central to the Government's plans for a low-carbon society and economy, and the success of this trial represents a crucial step towards hydrogen being implemented more widely in our energy network, with all of the environmental benefits that this will bring. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Keele so we are extremely proud to have been involved in this landmark trial."
Following the success of the trial at Keele, a further trial is now underway in Winlaton, North East England, to test the blended gas for the first time in a public network.
Useful Learnings from HyDeploy
The results of the HyDeploy trial, led by Cadent Gas in partnership with Keele University, Progressive Energy and others, have shown that hydrogen can be blended at up to 20% into natural gas networks with no adverse effects for users and resulting reductions in carbon emissions. The year-long trial saw more than 42,000 cubic metres of hydrogen blended into the gas network, which resulted in 27 tonnes of CO2 being saved from entering the atmosphere.
Blending hydrogen and natural gas is only a stepping stone in the bigger transition away from burning fossil fuels and blending is not a lasting solution. The method for producing hydrogen is also very important: 'green hydrogen' produced from water using renewable energy sources is an attractive, low-carbon alternative, whereas blending natural gas with 'blue hydrogen' produced from water using natural gas does not help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
HyDeploy's Metrics
Number of buildings using the blended gas for heating and cooking.
Number of cubic metres of hydrogen blended into the gas network.
Tonnes of CO2 saved.
