Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 28
28
Accepted
Major hydrogen heating village trials cancelled or delayed, impacting 2026 strategic decision.
Recommendation
In the 2021 Heat and Buildings strategy, DESNZ committed to developing the evidence base necessary to take strategic decisions on the role of hydrogen for heating buildings in 2026. It also committed to establishing large-scale trials of hydrogen for heating, including: a neighbourhood trial by 2023, a village scale trial by 2025; and developing plans by 2025 for a possible hydrogen town that can be converted by the end of the decade.51 Major trials intended to support decisions on hydrogen for heating have, however, been cancelled or delayed. We noted that two hydrogen village trials had been abandoned. DESNZ announced in July 2023 that it was no longer proceeding with supporting a village trial in Whitby, originally planned for 2025, owing to residents’ reluctance to change their heating systems. In December 2023, DESNZ announced that it would also not proceed with the other proposed village trial site in Redcar, because the necessary local hydrogen supply would not be available. A gas distribution company plans to start a neighbourhood trial, originally planned for 2023, in 2024 with around 300 interested participants in domestic properties in Fife.52
Government Response Summary
Government confirms the recommendation is implemented, acknowledging the cancellation or delay of major hydrogen trials and outlining its ongoing research and development programme to gather evidence for strategic decisions on hydrogen for heating.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 The government has a research and development programme to consider the costs, benefits, feasibility and safety of hydrogen heating. This includes: • Safety evidence, advice from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), drawing on evidence from research and testing projects being undertaken by the gas networks. • Specific departmental and gas network-led evidence projects to assess the technical conversion requirements for domestic and non-domestic gas installations and network infrastructure, • Evidence from trials, such as evidence provided through the planning for potential village trials in Redcar and Whitby, and live trials in Germany and the Netherlands. • Detailed energy systems modelling to assess the costs of different heat decarbonisation pathways.