Building a case for hydrogen
We’re pioneering the use of hydrogen as a clean, reliable energy source. UK-produced and piped using our existing network, hydrogen has great potential to help us all switch to clean energy. We’re working hard to realise that potential.
Hydrogen is already being used in industry and transport, we're committed to supporting all customers at each stage of the net zero transition. We're already collaborating with industrial clusters across our regions, while also working with other UK gas networks and government to explore repurposing the pipes we manage to deliver hydrogen to homes and businesses.
Supporting industry
Many businesses in the UK have committed to net zero emissions. Hydrogen offers an alternative for hard-to-abate industries to decarbonise their processes, helping to safeguard jobs and the economy.
We're already working with industrial clusters across Wales and the south west of England to identify where hydrogen producers and off-takers can work together.
Offering choice
To support customers to reach net zero, we need to give them choice and drive down costs in the long term. We believe hydrogen can play a big part in providing this choice, in a mix of green gas, electric and hybrid solutions.
The energy from hydrogen can heat homes and cook food just like the energy from natural gas. You would still have a boiler and radiators and control the temperature in the same way – so hydrogen heating will feel familiar, and converting to it will be easy.
Repurposing our grid
In the UK, 22 million homes are already connected to 250,000km of pipeline, which safely delivers huge amounts of gas. Repurposing this infrastructure to carry hydrogen would help reduce the upfront costs of the energy transition, while minimising disruption for consumers.
We're already upgrading our network to be able to carry green gases like hydrogen and biomethane. We're also working with the Health & Safety Executive to assess hydrogen's suitability to replace natural gas.
Security, flexibility and resilience
Producing hydrogen in the UK will improve our energy security, by complementing renewable energy, which is, by its nature, intermittent. In periods of low sunshine and wind, hydrogen can provide vital resilience, as a form of stored clean energy, ensuring we have enough to meet demand all year round.
With 26% percent of electricity being produced by gas on average in 2024, hydrogen can continue to provide flexibility and resilience we rely on.
If you'd like more information about hydrogen and what it means for the future of energy, get in touch with our expert team.
