News

What does the future hold for Gas and Hydrogen Boilers?

Published: 11-10-2018

With government plans to decarbonise heat and hot water generation by 2050, the reality is that our reliance on gas will need to dramatically decrease, meaning that the gas boiler as we know it is likely to change. What will the alternative look like though, and how will it affect you?

Hydrogen

We know that hydrogen, coupled with carbon capture technology, doesn’t produce carbon monoxide (CO) or carbon dioxide (CO2) by-products as it is burned within the home, making it ideally suited as a clean alternative to gas. The government also openly acknowledges that hydrogen fuel is a safe and low-carbon alternative for energy in buildings. In fact, in 2018 a £20 million investment figure into the development of a Hydrogen Supply Programme was announced.

The Switch

In the eventuality of a switch from gas to hydrogen, the good news is that the UK has a history of successful fuel migration - having shifted from Towns gas to natural gas in the 1960’s. The energy infrastructure we already have in-place can be adapted, and the replacement of natural gas with hydrogen would theoretically require no change to how we interact with our heating and cooking appliances.

It is likely that the installation of a hydrogen boiler wouldn’t be too dissimilar to a gas boiler either. The industry will do all it can to ensure that any new boiler is manufactured with ease of installation and best practice at the core.

The Future

With all this in mind, investigations into how a domestic boiler fuelled by hydrogen might be brought to market is on the horizon. Change won’t happen overnight and more research is required to bring about a carbon-neutral future, but overall it is essential and necessary to continue to evolve and develop our approach to heating.

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