No hydrogen town pilot until after 2026

The government has said there will be no work on a pilot to provide hydrogen to a town until after 2026, when it’s due to make a decision on the role of the gas in decarbonising heat.

It says hydrogen may have a role to play in heat decarbonisation, alongside heat pumps and heat networks, but “in slower time in some locations”. The decision in 2026 will be about whether and, if so, how hydrogen will contribute to heating decarbonisation.

The government says will assess evidence from research, the neighbourhood trial in Fife and similar schemes across Europe, to take this decision.

The announcement follows the abandonment of village trials in Redcar in December 2023, and previously in Whitby, Ellesmere Port.

Responding, Kensa’s James Standley said: “Halting the development… is further recognition that the technology has no major role to play in future home heating. The government should now take the next logical step and rule out hydrogen heating for anything other than a small number of very specific cases.

“It’s clear that the best and quickest way to achieve clean heat while ensuring the best outcomes for consumers will be through electrification, whether that’s using heat pumps or heat networks. The longer hydrogen remains part of the conversation, the further the transition will be delayed, hampering the speed at which these already proven technologies are rolled out.”