Let’s talk about… hydrogen

Hydrogen is slowly becoming a sizeable part of our energy mix. Since the UK government launched its Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution in 2020, there has been a concerted effort to ensure that there is a plan in place for how we can make best use of hydrogen going forward, culminating in its first formal strategy being launched in late 2021.

Hydrogen is likely to play a big part in the push to hit the country’s ambitious climate targets - there are already buses around the country running on hydrogen fuel cells, and it’s going to start being added into the gas network in Britain by 2025.

Overall, hydrogen is projected to provide between 20 to 35% of the UK’s energy demand by 2050, but what makes it different to other renewable sources is that it is not a fuel, but rather an energy carrier.

This means it needs to be produced, and the most climate friendly way to do this is using electricity from renewable sources to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, known as green hydrogen.

This can then be burnt to create heat with no emissions or combined with oxygen in a fuel cell to create electricity, with the only waste product being water.

How is hydrogen used?

Hydrogen does have its drawbacks - because energy is needed to produce it in the first instance, it’s not as efficient as just using electricity.

However, it is still useful for a number of applications. Some processes need intense heat that cannot be generated through electric means. It is also a good alternative for long range transport, or things like boats which can’t easily stop and recharge every hundred miles. Having a hydrogen cylinder on board is a lot lighter and fuel efficient than carrying lots of electric batteries.

How can hydrogen help?

Hydrogen can also play a part in our homes and businesses as we transition to cleaner heating options. There are hydrogen ready boilers available on the market, although most of our current appliances can already cope with up to 20% hydrogen in our gas mix.

The UK government’s current strategy will require a concerted effort across industries to meet its ambition for five gigawatts of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, which is the equivalent of replacing natural gas in powering around three million UK homes each year.

Ultimately however, the role that hydrogen will play in our buildings over the next 20 years is likely to be determined by a combination of how well we can all insulate, whether we are prepared to reduce our overall demand and if we can move towards more sustainable heating sources across the board.

See more in the series, let’s talk about the state of our planet.