Britain’s National Grid is planning a 10 million-pound ($13 million) project in the north west of England to test how hydrogen could be used to heat homes and bring down greenhouse gas emissions from industry, it said on Wednesday.
Britain has a target to reach net zero emissions by 2050, which will require a huge reduction in the use of fossil fuels, such as gas, which is currently used to heat about 85% of the country’s homes.
“Sectors such as heat are difficult to decarbonize,” said Antony Green, project director for hydrogen at National Grid.
“Trial projects like this are crucial if we are to deliver low-carbon energy reliably and safely,” he said in a statement.
National Grid hopes construction, at a site owned by risk management and energy group DNV GL in Cumbria in the north west of England, could start in 2021, subject to approval by energy regulator Ofgem, with trials to begin in 2022.
Belgium’s gas network operator Fluxys and Britain’s Northern Gas Networks are also partnering on the project.
