How will we heat our homes while stopping using expensive, polluting fossil fuels?
That’s a question discussed around many kitchen tables. And not only because of the latest cold snap.
More than 270 households in Buckhaven and Methil will help to answer it.
Gas company SGN are running the world’s first green hydrogen heating project. That’s the H100 project in Levenmouth.
Project bosses have just confirmed they have the 270 minimum volunteers they need to start the trial.
The project will provide data to the UK Government to inform decisions on the future of the fuel.
UK homes could be 100% powered by hydrogen in 12 years
SGN bosses and councillors celebrated construction starting on the H100 Fife hydrogen homes demonstration facility on Wednesday.
Leaders at the company believe the whole country could be “100%” hydrogen in 12 years.
But these milestones for the SGN project come after a difficult few years working to attract enough volunteers to make this initial trial work.
Promises of a new hydrogen boiler and appliances were not immediately attractive enough to secure the anticipated early swell of interest.
Some academics and green groups have also attacked the scheme.
The gas industry supports green hydrogen and its role in pushing us down the path to net zero. One natural gas boiler salesman recently tried to seal the deal with me by promising his new set up was ‘hydrogen ready’.
Green groups attack green H100 hydrogen project
But, for others, hydrogen power is a dead end, at least as far as home heating goes.
Green hydrogen is made by splitting water using energy from renewables, most probably wind power. (Its far less eco-friendly cousin blue hydrogen uses gas and relies on untested carbon capture technology.)
Some analysts claim it would require half the UK’s offshore wind capacity to create enough hydrogen to meet the UK government’s ambition to use the fuel in heating.
Others think hydrogen is better suited to other parts of the economy – such as aviation or power – while others highlight water supply issues.
So, critics believe, we should double down on existing – and more proven – technology instead. For heating homes, that means ground and air source heat pumps and better insulation.
Heat pumps are effective and efficient – way more than so-called 'green' hydrogen. With support to manufacture and install them at scale, we a long way towards building the renewable future we need! https://t.co/Fd9lyeG2z2
— Food & Water Watch (@foodandwater) March 7, 2023
The Courier received lots of unsolicited comment from various groups last year attacking the H100 project.
“Trials like H100 Fife continue to give the public the misleading impression that hydrogen is a viable way to decarbonise home heating,” said Elizabeth Leighton, director of a group called Existing Homes Alliance.
That is cold comfort to those Fifers now ready to test the idea, providing data that will be used UK wide.
Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee visited the H100 project in May last year as part of its investigation into hydrogen and carbon capture.
The cross party group has just published its findings, concluding “the evidence in favour of mandating hydrogen-ready boilers in all suitable properties at the earliest opportunity is convincing.”
The group acknowledged “there is still a substantial amount of work being done that will determine its eventual use.”
Which is what volunteers in Buckhaven and Denbeath will do when the SGN test network goes live. Company bosses are now promising that in 2024, two years later than first hoped.
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