Transitioning a gas network to net-zero via a hydrogen gas conversion will create limited disruption, argues Tim Harwood, Northern Gas Networks, UK. The UK government recently published its Energy Security Strategy which saw the doubling of the target for hydrogen production from 5 GW to 10 GW by 2030, with the ambition that 5 GW would be generated from electrolysis to create so-called 'green hydrogen'. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "We're going to produce vastly more hydrogen, which is easy to store, ready to go whenever we need it, and is a low carbon 'superfuel' of the future". At Northern Gas Networks (NGN), we welcome the increase in the country's ambitions to produce more hydrogen as we believe we can put it great use in our existing gas network. Our distribution network comprises 37 000 km of underground pipes, which deliver natural gas safely and reliably to 27 million homes and business across the North East of England, northern Cumbria and most of Yorkshire. The gas network supplies consumers with a reliable, resilient and safe source of energy, with the ability to respond to seasonal demand swings, with peak winter gas requirements typically fivefold summer demand, and an extreme weather event leading to the network effortlessly meeting customers' additional needs. The Prime Minister is right to highlight storage as a key benefit of hydrogen, because without a stored supply of energy, it simply won't be possible to meet the country's needs on a cold winter day.
展开▼
