Flow control equipment specialist Oxford Flow has announced a collaboration with nZero Group company Thyson Technology to supply its IM-S gas regulators for SGN’s H100 Fife Future of Gas project in Scotland.
The project aims to introduce a direct supply of clean power for hydrogen production in Buckhaven and Denbeath. The partnership seeks to provide renewable hydrogen for domestic heating, marking a major step towards zero-carbon fuel adoption in homes.
The heating sector in the UK accounts for around one third of the UK’s annual carbon footprint, according to government figures. In 2019, 17% of heating emissions from buildings came from homes, comparable to the contribution of all petrol and diesel cars.
Oxford Flow will supply IM-S gas regulators equipped with PRX2L pilots and PB1 balancers to nZero Group, which will make up part of its twin stream active-monitor station.
The hydrogen-ready IM-S regulator has been verified for use with up to 100% hydrogen and features no diaphragm, the most common failure and wear point in conventional gas regulators.
“We’re thrilled to be supporting another hydrogen to grid project, and it’s positive to see gas networks and suppliers getting behind innovative technology as we transition from natural gas to hydrogen,” said Faris Churcher, Business Lead – Gas & Energy Transition at Oxford Flow.
Phase one of H100 Fife will connect 300 homes to a new 100% hydrogen network. A demonstration facility will be built for customers to see and experience hydrogen applications in a home-like setting before opting into the project.
The next phase will be to expand the number of customers receiving a hydrogen supply and start scaling up to create the UK’s first ‘hydrogen town’ by the end of the decade.
Currently well into its construction phase, SGN has installed over 65% of the new 8.2km hydrogen network in Buckhaven and Denbeath.
Hydrogen for homes?
According to proponents, transitioning from fossil-fuel heating to hydrogen could help meet government carbon emission targets and combat climate change.
Adopting hydrogen allows for the continued use of existing infrastructure, starting with a 20% blend of hydrogen and natural gas before progressing to 100% hydrogen.
Boiler Central highlights several drawbacks to using hydrogen for home heating including the significant investment in infrastructure required and considerations over safety and energy storage.
A 2023 market analysis from Nesta argues that the UK government should not wait until 2026 to decide whether to use hydrogen to heat homes citing growing evidence that questions the effectiveness of the gas.
The Nesta document suggests that hydrogen could potentially reduce the reliance on natural gas for heating UK homes. However, it notes that hydrogen might not be as efficient as existing low-carbon technologies.
“Hydrogen-for-heating proponents argue that using hydrogen could make it easier to cut carbon from homes because converting homes to use hydrogen boilers could be less disruptive than installing alternatives such as heat pumps. However, following serious consideration, we think the evidence shows that hydrogen is unlikely to be feasible for heating homes at a large scale,” said Max Woollard, an analyst for the group’s ‘sustainable future mission’.
In October 2023, the government clarified that heat pumps and heat networks will be the primary low-carbon technology for decarbonising home heating over the next decade and will play a key role in all pathways to 2050.
