THE CAPITAL HYDROGEN PROGRAMME
Working in partnership to deliver hydrogen for London, the East of England and the South East
Introduction
The UK government has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 with a target of a 78% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035.
For the capital, the Greater London Authority (GLA) has set an even more challenging target of achieving net zero for the whole of London by 2030 and to deliver this will require significant action.
Low carbon hydrogen is critical to reaching net zero and will allow decarbonisation of heavy industry, power generation, heavy transport and heating. The gas transmission and distribution networks have a key role in providing the transportation network to supply hydrogen to customers.
Project leads
.png)
What is the Capital Hydrogen Programme?
Capital Hydrogen is a collaboration between Cadent, National Gas Transmission and SGN. It is a 15-20 year programme that will allow a transition from a natural gas network to a hydrogen network in London, the East of England and the South East.
Working with key stakeholders, Capital Hydrogen will identify and realise the potential which hydrogen brings to the development of the low carbon economy in the region.
What is the First Stage of the Programme?
Developing our vision
The first stage of the Capital Hydrogen programme has been the development of a strategic vision for hydrogen in London and the South East.
This has been informed by a feasibility study that identifies how much hydrogen may be needed in London, the biggest demand centre in the region. The demand scenario has been built on the Net Zero Scenario work delivered for the Greater London Authority (GLA) and illustrates the way in which the gas networks will work together to achieve the GLA’s projected ‘Accelerated Green’ Pathway to Net Zero.
London’s hydrogen story draws in a much wider geographical area, as the majority of hydrogen consumed in London will be produced outside the city at locations such as Bacton (Norfolk), in the Thames Estuary and at other emerging production centres down the East Anglia coast and in the South East. The feasibility report also considers potential hydrogen demand across the whole of the East of England and South East Region.
The feasibility study identifies:
(Full)
(Summary)
Capital Hydrogen Map
Our current understanding of potential hydrogen production, hydrogen use and the transportation of hydrogen are shown on the map below.
By 2033, National Gas Transmission will repurpose existing transmission pipelines as part of a wider Hydrogen Backbone (Project Union). It will provide 100% hydrogen transmission routes from the East of England and the South East into London, connecting hydrogen supply with hydrogen demand across the region. In addition, in the 2020s, we see the development of shorter sections of 100% hydrogen pipeline that connect localised hydrogen production and industrial end use clusters
about us
Cadent operates and maintains the largest gas distribution network in the UK and is committed to keeping customers safe and warm, bringing gas to 11 million homes and businesses throughout the North-West, West Midlands, East Midlands, South Yorkshire, East of England and North London. Cadent manages the National Gas Emergency Service on behalf of the gas industry.
National Gas Transmission owns and operates the high-pressure gas transmission network in Great Britain, which contains 7,630km of high-pressure pipelines, 68 gas compressors and more than 500 above-ground installations. National Gas Transmission is responsible for making sure the country’s gas is transported safely and efficiently from where it is produced to where it is consumed. As the Gas System Operator, National Gas Transmission are responsible for ensuring that supply and demand are balanced in real time, day to day.
SGN operates two of the largest gas networks in the UK. SGN distributes gas in Scotland and in the South and South-East of England. It provides a safe and secure supply of natural gas to 5.9 million customers through 74,000km of gas mains and services.
related projects
& news
Cadent, National Gas Transmission and SGN are working together across the UK to show how their networks can be re-purposed to hydrogen through collaborative research ventures, feasibility studies and pilot programme.
The knowledge gained from these initiatives and working with other stakeholders will be used to inform the Capital Hydrogen Programme.
Hydrogen Production
and Innovation Projects
A consortium of companies involved in energy generation, infrastructure and design are working on a hydrogen supply and end-use project located on Kent’s Isle of Grain.
The project aims to scale up production beyond the requirements of the immediate consortium group so that low carbon hydrogen can be supplied by pipeline into the capital and beyond.
The OGA (referred since March 2022 as the North Sea Transition Authority) commissioned a study to look at future hydrogen demand and users of hydrogen in the Bacton Catchment Area, on the Norfolk coast.
The study identified a credible route to hydrogen production to meet this demand and found that there is significant economic opportunity for a hydrogen led Energy Hub at Bacton and its potential contribution in the UK’s energy future.
SGN, ExxonMobil and GIG are working together to explore the potential use of hydrogen and carbon capture to help reduce emissions in the Southampton industrial cluster.
The project will look at the potential for creating a hydrogen super-hub in the Port of Southampton, developing a centre of excellence for hydrogen production and distribution on the south coast.
SGN is developing a world-first hydrogen network in Levenmouth, Fife, which will bring renewable hydrogen into homes in 2023 for heating and cooking.
The project will provide compelling evidence of hydrogen’s performance in a real-world domestic setting as a zero-carbon energy source, as the Scottish and UK Governments seek to reach net zero by 2045 and 2050 respectively.
The clean gas will be produced locally, by a dedicated electrolysis plant powered by a nearby offshore wind turbine.
A consortium of companies involved in energy generation, infrastructure and design are working together to stimulate a hydrogen economy for London and the South East.
The project’s objective is to develop a hydrogen production facility, located on Kent’s Isle of Grain, supplying low-carbon hydrogen to London and the South East.
The OGA (referred since March 2022 as the North Sea Transition Authority) commissioned a study to look at future hydrogen demand and users of hydrogen in the Bacton Catchment Area, on the Norfolk coast.
The study found that there is significant economic opportunity for a hydrogen led Energy Hub at Bacton and its potential contribution in the UK’s energy future from a combination of energy transition and new energy production projects.
SGN, ExxonMobil and GIG are working together to explore the potential use of hydrogen and carbon capture to help reduce emissions in the Southampton industrial cluster.
The project will look at the potential for creating a hydrogen super-hub in the Port of Southampton, developing a centre of excellence for hydrogen production and distribution on the south coast.
SGN is developing a world-first hydrogen network in Levenmouth, Fife, which will bring renewable hydrogen into homes in 2023 for heating and cooking.
The project will provide compelling evidence of hydrogen’s performance in a real-world domestic setting as a zero-carbon energy source, as the Scottish and UK Governments seek to reach net zero by 2045 and 2050 respectively.
The clean gas will be produced locally, by a dedicated electrolysis plant powered by a nearby offshore wind turbine.
Hydrogen Production
and Innovation Projects
A consortium of companies involved in energy generation, infrastructure and design are working together to stimulate a hydrogen economy for London and the South East.
The project’s objective is to develop a hydrogen production facility, located on Kent’s Isle of Grain, supplying low-carbon hydrogen to London and the South East.
The OGA (referred since March 2022 as the North Sea Transition Authority) commissioned a study to look at future hydrogen demand and users of hydrogen in the Bacton Catchment Area, on the Norfolk coast.
The study found that there is significant economic opportunity for a hydrogen led Energy Hub at Bacton and its potential contribution in the UK’s energy future from a combination of energy transition and new energy production projects.
Network
Related Projects
The Thames Estuary Growth Board’s Hydrogen Route Map outlines how to deliver a hydrogen ecosystem within the Thames Estuary. We have worked extensively with stakeholders to put in place the building blocks to support the transition from fossil fuels and support the UK Government’s hydrogen and net zero strategies.
The Thames Estuary Growth Board are seeking to unlock and maximise benefits for the Estuary’s businesses and communities by bringing investment, employment and training opportunities.
SGN secured funding of £29.9m to test the use of high-pressure pipelines for hydrogen transmission and storage as an option for net zero heating and determine whether Britain’s transmission networks can be repurposed for hydrogen gas.
The project is based in Grangemouth, Scotland, and delivered in partnership with INEOS, who have extensive manufacturing and infrastructure facilities in the region and will supply the hydrogen for the live trial.
Hydeploy is a series of pilots designed to demonstrate that blending of up to 20% low carbon hydrogen into the gas network is safe and technically feasible. Through its Keele University and Winlaton village demonstrations, HyDeploy has already shown that a blend of low carbon hydrogen and natural gas can be used to heat our homes and business in the same way as pure natural gas, but with a lower carbon emissions impact. The final phase of the programme will demonstrate that a blend of 20% hydrogen and natural gas can be used in heavy industrial equipment.
National Gas Transmission are building a hydrogen test facility from decommissioned assets in Spadeadam, Cumbria to explore the use of hydrogen as a low-carbon alternative to gas. The facility will support National Gas Transmission’s investigation into the possibility of transporting hydrogen within the UK's National Transmission System (NTS).
The Thames Estuary Growth Board’s Hydrogen Route Map outlines how to deliver a hydrogen ecosystem within the Thames Estuary. We have worked extensively with stakeholders to put in place the building blocks to support the transition from fossil fuels and support the UK Government’s hydrogen and net zero strategies.
The Thames Estuary Growth Board are seeking to unlock and maximise benefits for the Estuary’s businesses and communities by bringing investment, employment and training opportunities.
SGN secured funding of £29.9m to test the use of high-pressure pipelines for hydrogen transmission and storage as an option for net zero heating and determine whether Britain’s transmission networks can be repurposed for hydrogen gas.
The project will be based in Grangemouth, Scotland, and delivered in partnership with INEOS, who have extensive manufacturing and infrastructure facilities in the region and will supply the hydrogen for the live trial.
Hydeploy covers a number of phased energy pilot studies looking at blending hydrogen into the existing gas network in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from energy used to heat our buildings and homes. The different project phases are collectively generating evidence to demonstrate how blended hydrogen can be used safely.
The project is hosted at Keele University in Staffordshire and is being funded by Ofgem’s Gas Network Innovation Competition, Cadent Gas Ltd and Northern Gas Networks.
National Grid Gas Transmission are building a hydrogen test facility from decommissioned assets in Spadeadam, Cumbria to explore the use of hydrogen as a low-carbon alternative to gas. The facility will support National Grid Gas Transmission’s investigation into the possibility of transporting hydrogen within the UK's National Transmission System (NTS).
get in touch
Please get in touch! Whether you have got a question, suggestion or would like to find out more information about the Capital Hydrogen Programme - we would like to hear from you.
