Scientists ‘concerned’ over government plans for hydrogen home heating

Letter to prime minister says government should take a cautious approach to fossil-fuel based ‘blue hydrogen’, Daisy Dunne reports

Scientists have have said that ‘priority needs to be shifting away from fossil fuels towards efficient electricity-based heating and transport systems’ (ANP/AFP via Getty)

Scientists have expressed their concerns over the government’s plans to consider the use of hydrogen for heating homes.

Britain has pledged to phase out new gas boilers by the mid 2030s as part of plans to get the country to net-zero emissions by 2050.

And in a blueprint set out last month, the government promised to spend just over £100m to “kickstart a world-leading hydrogen economy”, including plans to pilot the use of hydrogen in home heating.

However, in an open letter to the prime minister and the energy and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, scientists said the fuel should be used cautiously.

“We are concerned that the UK government is considering widespread use of hydrogen in home heating, despite the availability of electric heat pumps that are more efficient and can already deploy at scale today, supporting thousands of jobs,” the letter reads.

Instead, the “priority needs to be shifting away from fossil fuels towards efficient electricity-based heating and transport systems”, it added.

The group is led by Prof David Cebon, a scientist at the University of Cambridge, and includes researchers from the University of Strathclyde, the University of Aberdeen and Ulster University.

Hydrogen can be used in the place of fossil fuels and so has been touted by some as an important tool in the UK’s effort to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The fuel can be created in many different ways. One way is by splitting water into its constituent parts, hydrogen and oxygen, using electricity sourced from renewables. This method is considered “green”.

Another way to produce hydrogen is by reacting fossil gas with steam, with the resulting greenhouse gas emissions captured and buried underground. This creates what is called “blue hydrogen” – a fuel that is cleaner than traditional fossil fuels but not completely emissions-free.

The letter urges Boris Johnson to “take a cautious approach to blue hydrogen” to avoid a “lock-in to unsustainable fossil fuel infrastructure that could push net-zero out of reach”.

Instead of putting resources into trialing hydrogen in home heating, the government should be prioritising “the use of green hydrogen for hard-to-electrify sectors such as steel, chemicals and possibly shipping”, the scientists said.

The government is due to imminently set out its strategy for how it will cut emissions from home heating.

Britain’s homes currently account for a fifth of the country’s total emissions – and the government came under fire from campaigners earlier this week after it was revealed that the UK is the worst in Europe for sales of low-carbon heat pumps.

The Independent approached a government spokesperson for comment.