Hydrogen heating trial known as off in Ellesmere Port after native protests
H
ydrogen heating trials have been known as off in Ellesmere Port after native protests.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) confirmed on Tuesday {that a} trial will not happen within the Whitby space of the Cheshire city.
Trials had been proposed for Whitby, in addition to Redcar in Teesside, involving hydrogen boilers being put in in round 2,000 properties.
Cadent, the gasoline distribution community for Whitby, and Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the community for Redcar, submitted rival bids earlier this 12 months to check the feasibility of a home-heating grid run with out pure gasoline.
But the plans prompted a backlash from owners in each areas, with issues that hydrogen is much less secure, much less energy-efficient and costlier than gasoline or electrical warmth pumps.
Conservative peer Lord (Martin) Callanan stated on Tuesday that there’s “no strong local support” for trials in Whitby however discussions over a Redcar trial proceed.
He tweeted: “After listening to the views of residents, it’s clear that there is no strong local support, therefore Whitby will no longer be considered as the location for the UK’s first hydrogen village trial – discussions with NGN re Redcar are ongoing and we’ll announce next steps shortly.”
Cadent stated the Government is “likely to progress the trial in Redcar” after DESNZ knowledgeable it that its proposal for Whitby isn’t most well-liked.
Responding to the news, Justin Madders, Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, stated: “This decision has been inevitable for some time and I hope the Government and gas networks will learn from the mistakes that have been made in this process.
“It is clear that asking people to try experimental new forms of energy consumption for their homes will not work unless basic questions about safety, efficacy and cost can be answered from the start.
The key here is you need informed consent, just like you would in a drug trial. This is a process that’s intrusive, it is a change to your house, it’s a change in the way you heat…
“It is also clear that leaving people with the impression that this was happening without their consent sent entirely the wrong message out about how we need to tackle climate change.
“We need written cast-iron assurances that this is the end of the matter and that the people of Whitby and Ellesmere Port will not have foisted on them at some later date a hydrogen village, a hydrogen town or some other variant. Local people have had enough.”
Michael Liebreich, founding father of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, known as it the “right decision”.
He stated: “The key here is you need informed consent, just like you would in a drug trial.
“This is a process that’s intrusive, it is a change to your house, it’s a change in the way you heat, it’s a change to potentially your bills in the future, it’s a change to the way you cook, it can change your own future plans for going to different sources.”
Today’s determination to cancel the hydrogen heating trial in Whitby is a triumph of widespread sense over business greenwash
Alice Harrison, fossil fuels marketing campaign chief at Global Witness, stated: “Hydrogen heating is the emperor’s new clothing for the oil and gas industry – a thinly veiled attempt for these companies to stay relevant and profitable, and to stall a genuinely green transition.
“Today’s decision to cancel the hydrogen heating trial in Whitby is a triumph of common sense over industry greenwash.
“Hydrogen does have a role to play in decarbonising our industry, but it would be a disaster as a source of home heating – it’s explosive, expensive and it’s much worse for the climate than alternatives like heat pumps.
“With the Whitby trial now out of the question, the Government must now do the same with Redcar and end the disastrous hydrogen trials.”
We consider strongly within the position that hydrogen can play alongside different applied sciences and power sources in reaching web zero
If profitable, the proposed trial would start in 2025 and final two years, with funding equipped by power regulator Ofgem.
Cadent stated in an announcement: “We know that this will be disappointing to the many residents who told us they wanted their community to play a pioneering role in decarbonising how we heat our homes in the UK.
“We believe strongly in the role that hydrogen can play alongside other technologies and energy sources in reaching net zero.
“While Whitby won’t be the location for the trial, the information we have gained over the last 12 months will still play an invaluable role in shaping how the UK heats its homes and businesses in the future.”