Futuristic Hydrogen-Fueled Homes Rising in the UK

In the hopes of demonstrating the potential of hydrogen as a clean alternative to natural gas, two hydrogen-fueled semi-detached homes will rise in England. It is located explicitly at a Northern Gas Networks site in Low Thornley, Gateshead, in England's northeast.

Through the help of the $350,000 (£250,000) grant from the government's Hy4Heat innovation program and gas companies Northern Gas Networks and Cadent, United Kingdom's first hydrogen-powered homes, will be open this coming April.

The project is part of the government's initiative to create an entire neighborhood and possibly a whole town powered by hydrogen in the next decade. The said project is also expected to unlock over 100,000 jobs across Britain by 2050.

This means that all home appliances, including fires, boilers, hobs, and cookers, will be powered by non-carbon emission releasing hydrogen.

The hydrogen-fueled homes, which are not meant to live in, will only be used to showcase the use of hydrogen in a real-life setting.

Environment-Friendly

The futuristic project aims to showcase how hydrogen could replace natural gas in a domestic setting.

"Unlike natural gas, which is responsible for more than 30% of the UK's carbon emissions, hydrogen produces no carbon at the point of use, with the only by-product being water," the government said, as reported by CNBC.

The International Energy Agency described hydrogen as a "versatile energy carrier," which has a wide variety of use in different industries and the transport sector, including hydrogen-powered trains, airplanes, cars, and buses.

The environment-friendly approach will be generated through electrolysis, which splits water into oxygen and hydrogen. "Green hydrogen" will be produced if the electricity comes from a renewable source.

In the beginning, the Gateshead homes will use hydrogen gas in bottled form, but green hydrogen could also be used in the future.

Debate on Hydrogen

(Photo : Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images)

While the use of hydrogen in the domestic setting is already on the go, there is still an ongoing debate on the potential of hydrogen to stop climate change. The UK government is committed to doing more research before taking any strategic actions about hydrogen use.

Part of this initiative is to consult requiring gas broilers convertible to hydrogen in preparation for any future gas network conversion.

"From running a hot bath and cooking our evening meals to turning on the heating, most of us use natural gas every day," Energy minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said, as per Inside Housing.

However, to tackle climate change, we need to find alternatives to fossil fuels and move towards making clean energy the norm," she added.

Meanwhile, Northern Gas Network chief executive Mark Horsley said they are delighted to collaborate with the government in giving the public a glimpse of hydrogen-powered homes.

"Just like natural gas, hydrogen can heat homes in exactly the same way, meaning minimal change for customers in terms of how they use gas for heating or cooking," Horsley explained.

"The houses bring to life the potential of this green gas for keeping UK homes warm while minimising impact on the environment," he added.

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