1. The plan to develop a hydrogen town in Britain has been put on hold until after 2026.
2. The decision on the role of hydrogen in decarbonising heat will be made based on the outcomes of the H100 hydrogen neighbourhood trial in Fife, Scotland.
3. The concept of an expanding hydrogen neighbourhood to village to town progression to test hydrogen for heating and cooking at increasing scale is being explored, with the H100 trial in Fife proceeding well despite some delays.
The plan to develop a hydrogen town in Britain has been delayed until after 2026 pending a decision on the role of hydrogen in decarbonising heat. This decision follows the cancellation of a hydrogen village project in Redcar. Low carbon hydrogen may still have a role in heat decarbonisation in some locations, alongside heat pumps and heat networks.
The government will make a decision in 2026 based on the outcomes of the H100 hydrogen neighbourhood trial in Fife, Scotland, and similar programs in Europe. The concept of testing hydrogen for heating and cooking at increasing scales was first proposed in 2020. Although a neighbourhood trial is ongoing, potential hydrogen village locations in Whitby and Redcar were shelved due to various reasons.
Proposals for a hydrogen town with at least 10,000 metering points by 2030 were submitted by gas network operators in 2023. Minister Lord Callanan stated that heat pumps and heat networks will be the main route to reducing household emissions for the foreseeable future.
The H100 Fife neighbourhood trial in Levenmouth is progressing well, with the hydrogen network installation and the construction of the green hydrogen production and storage facility underway. Despite delays, there is great support from the local community for this groundbreaking project.