The UK’s first homes with household appliances fuelled entirely by hydrogen are set to open in April 2021.
On 16 February, Cadent revealed that the homes, which it has funded alongside Northern Gas Networks (NGN) and the Hy4Heat Innovation programme, will show how hydrogen has the potential to act as a clean replacement for natural gas in the home. The homes will use 100% hydrogen for domestic heating and cooking in appliances such as boilers, hobs, cookers and fires, producing no carbon at point of use with the only by-product water.
The project secured a £250,000 grant from Hy4Heat and will be run by Cadent and NGN, both of which have contributed £250,000 each. The homes will be located in Low Thornley, Gateshead, and are planned to be open to the public, ensuring they can see the appliances, how they work and how they compare to existing ones. Local schools, colleges and universities will be invited to learn more about the technology and potential careers in the emerging green economy and science, technology, engineering and maths subjects.
The hydrogen homes are expected to have a three-year lifespan but could go for longer, as much as 10 years. They are not intended to be habitual, instead they will simply showcase the use of hydrogen fuelled applications in a real-world domestic setting.
