Wales & West Utilities have been granted approval from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to inject gas containing up to 1% hydrogen into its gas network in Swindon.
Announced on 26 August, it marks the first time that the HSE has permitted natural gas with an elevated hydrogen level to be used in the national network. Wales & West Utilities is working with ABSL, which will inject Bio-substitute Natural Gas (BioSNG) into the existing gas network from its Swindon plant, reducing carbon emissions by up to 5,000 tonnes for almost 2,500 local homes immediately.
The BioSNG product – which is expected to start being injected into the grid from October – will have a hydrogen content of up to 1%.
Sarah Williams, Wales & West Utilities Director of Regulation and Asset Strategy, said the development marked “another important step” when it comes to demonstrating the use of the existing safe and reliable gas network in the UK to transport hydrogen.
Williams added: “The 2020s must be a decade of delivery, where we put the research and development work that has been done on hydrogen into practice. This project will help support ambitious plans across the UK to convert villages to hydrogen, help heavy industry decarbonise, and meet Government’s aspirations on hydrogen for home heating.”
