The government has initiated a consultation process aimed at gathering perspectives from industry and consumer groups regarding the expansion of hydrogen‘s role in the national gas network.

Currently, hydrogen constitutes a marginal portion of the gas supply to households and businesses across the UK.

However, proposed measures could gradually increase its presence to a maximum of 20%.

This process, referred to as blending, involves the integration of hydrogen into the existing gas network.

Insights garnered from this consultation, alongside guidance from the Health and Safety Executive, will be instrumental in determining the course of action for hydrogen integration.

The government has set an ambitious target of achieving a hydrogen production capacity of 10GW by 2030.

Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Lord Callanan said: “We want to capture the full economic potential that comes with using hydrogen as a cleaner, reliable energy source – with the opportunity to create tens of thousands of new skilled jobs.

“Blending hydrogen into our gas supply – through existing gas infrastructure – would open the doors to an expansion of its use as a fuel, one which could help us cut emissions and stabilise bills for families and businesses.”