Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has officially opened the first hydrogen-powered homes in Levenmouth as part of SGN’s H100 Fife project.
Up to 300 households in Fife, Scotland, will switch to hydrogen for cooking and heating in the world-first project. Residents who have signed up can now visit the demonstration before they move in this summer, although hydrogen boilers and hobs supplied by Baxi, Worcester Bosch, and Bosch Home Appliances will be installed later.
Read more:8.4km Scottish hydrogen network completed ahead of community heating trial
In their new homes, residents won’t pay any more for their hydrogen gas supply compared to natural gas, SGN has said. They’ll pay the same standing charge and price per kilowatt hour for natural gas while using hydrogen.
John Swinney, Simon Kilonback | © SGN
Renewable electricity is supplied from a nearby 7MW offshore wind turbine to power a 5MW alkaline electrolyser. Up to 2,093kg of green hydrogen will be stored in six storage vessels to provide a constant source of hydrogen to meet demand.
Commenting on the official opening, Swinney said, “Scotland’s Net Zero future depends on our ability to create innovative solutions to tackle climate change, and the H100 Fife project is a shining example of this ambition.
“These demonstration homes offer residents a glimpse of the role that hydrogen can play in delivering warm and comfortable homes with zero carbon emissions.”
Gas distribution company SGN manages the natural and green gas network for approximately six million homes and businesses across Scotland, southern England and Northern Ireland.
The company’s CEO, Simon Kilonback, said the project can act as a “catalyst” for regional decarbonisation.
“This project is also far more than just a hydrogen for home heating trial and will provide key evidence to support the development of the hydrogen economy, whether that be production, storage, distribution or operations.”
Furthermore, SGN is set to launch the UK’s first dedicated hydrogen training facility for gas engineers this year, equipping a new workforce with the skills needed to install and maintain hydrogen appliances.
Is there a future for hydrogen heating?
While hydrogen itself is often the focus of debate, its use as a means to heat homes has become one of the most divisive topics in the industry. Although it most certainly is not an isolated concern, the UK can be used to portray the hydrogen for heating debate on levels transcending technicality and financial.
The potential for hydrogen heating homes has been hailed as a way to easily transition the natural gas-heated housing stock to zero-emissions. The UK in particular is a region that could significantly benefit from the method, with 20.7 million or 88% of English dwellings having a gas-fired heating system, according to the UK Government’s English Housing Survey 2020-20211.
Additionally, the need to find an alternative to natural gas-fired heating is ever increasing against the UK’s 2050 Net Zero agenda, with the heating sector accounting for almost one third of the UK’s annual carbon footprint and 17% of heating emissions from building coming from homes2.
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