South West’s grid to get hydrogen injection

Independent regulator has greenlit Wales & West Utilities’ project to inject gas containing up to 1% hydrogen into its network in Swindon

Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety gave the go-ahead to a project that aims to bring more hydrogen into the grid in Swindon, in South West England.

Wales & West Utilities unveiled plans to inject gas containing up to 1% hydrogen into its network in the region.

The company said it is the first time natural gas with an elevated hydrogen level has been permitted to be used in the national network.

The engineering services company ABSL will inject Bio-substitute Natural Gas into the existing gas network at a plant in Swindon.

That is forecast to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by up to 5,000 tonnes for almost 2,500 homes.

Sarah Williams, Wales & West Utilities Director of Regulation and Asset Strategy, said: “This is another important step in demonstrating the use of the existing safe and reliable gas network in the UK to transport hydrogen.

“The 2020s must be a decade of delivery, where we put the research and development work that has been done on hydrogen into practice.”

Two weeks ago, the government published its Hydrogen Strategy which aims to unlock £4 billion investment by 2030.

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