Keele University has announced that the UK’s first live pilot to inject zero carbon hydrogen into a gas network to heat homes and buildings is now fully operational.
The £7mn project, HyDeploy, based at Keele University, went live at the beginning of January. The green energy trial has the potential to open the door to a low-carbon hydrogen economy. The demonstration is injecting up to 20% of hydrogen – the highest blend in Europe – into the university’s existing natural gas network, feeding into 100 homes and 30 faculty buildings. If a 20% hydrogen blend was to be rolled out across the UK, the university noted that it could lead to savings of around 6mn tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
Professor Mark Ormerod, Deputy Vice Chancellor, and Provost, at Keele University, said: “Sustainability and low carbon energy is a key overarching institutional priority for Keele University, and we are delighted to be a key partner in HyDeploy. HyDeploy is a pioneering landmark national demonstration project, using our campus as a genuine ‘living laboratory’ for low carbon and energy-efficient technologies. HyDeploy has the potential to be hugely impactful and lead to a step change in the reduction of carbon emissions associated with heat.”
