Plan to switch 4m homes to hydrogen gas

NEARLY four million homes across northern England could be heated by “green” hydrogen gas by 2034.

Three specialist companies are pushing for the gas to be used under a £23billion scheme to tackle climate change.

Burning natural gas creates carbon dioxide, but switching to hydrogen produces only heat and water.

Northern Gas Networks, Cadent and Norwegian firm Equinor want to build facilities to convert natural gas into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The waste carbon dioxide would be pumped into PROPOSALS NGN’s Dan Sadler aquifers under the North Sea, making the North the best place to start the project The firms’ report H21 North of England sets out plans to convert 3.7 million homes over seven years from 2028. Dan Sadler, of NGN, said: “If rolled out UK-wide, this detailed engineering solution has the potential to de-carbonise 70% of domestic heat by 2050 – and represents a huge leap towards our country meeting the climate change challenge.”

Leeds city council has already taken steps to convert the gas grid to run on hydrogen.