Natural Gas: Hydrogen

(asked on 6th February 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the consequences, including safety, of proposals for UK domestic gas supplies to comprise up to 20 per cent hydrogen.


Answered by
Lord Callanan Portrait
Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This question was answered on 19th February 2020

The Gas Safety (Management) Regulations 1996 (GSMR) were introduced as a statutory instrument to ensure the safety, quality, and management of the flow of gas through the gas network in Great Britain. The regulations are the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). It is the responsibility of the Gas Network Operators (GNOs) to make the case to the HSE that any changes they propose to the GSMR are safe.

The HyDeploy project has been commissioned by GNOs to investigate the option of blending up to 20% hydrogen with natural gas in the gas grid. The HSE have granted an exemption to the current GSMR hydrogen content limit of 0.1% for the duration of the HyDeploy project, subject to strict safety arrangements being in place.

The evidence produced by HyDeploy will be used to assess whether legislative changes allowing hydrogen blending should be made. It will also be used to assess whether any consequential changes would be required to charging arrangements.

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