EWS | DIGEST Vaillant and Baxi announce pure hydrogen boilers for R&D pilot Vaillant and Baxi are providing 100% fired hydrogen boilers for the HyStreet heating demonstration village at RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria. Baxi has announced its first hydrogen boiler for commercial applications, while Vaillants unit has been fitted in a purpose-built, terraced home. Previously, Baxi had installed 100% hydrogen boilers for residential use at the hydrogen pilot homes in Low Thornley, Gateshead, and HyStreet. The HyStreet project is part of the H21 scheme, led by Northern Gas Networks and DNV, and includes a one-kilometre, purpose-built polyethylene microgrid. The microgrid mirrors a typical UK gas distribution network, comprising pipework of various pressures, and is being used to understand how networks can be managed and operated on 100% hydrogen. In March this year, Vaillant installed its first 100% hydrogen boiler in the UK at the H21 South Bank site in Middlesbrough, where testing is taking place on disused land. Hydrogen focus must be on greatest gains, says report Fuel should be prioritised for industrial heating processes, according to engineers Blending hydrogen into the gas grid may not be the best use of the fuel, according to a new report that calls for a focus on end uses that deliver the widest decarbonisation benets. The report by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC) says hydrogen is likely to play a critical role in a net zero energy system. However, the partnership of 42 professional organisations, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, warns that achieving this goal will rely on a rapid scaling up of low carbon hydrogen infrastructure. It says production should be focused on end uses where greatest gains can be delivered in terms of wider-system decarbonisation. Given that the availability of low carbon hydrogen will be limited while production is scaled up, the report recommends that the fuel be used where it is the only available low or zero carbon option, and where it can achieve the highest carbon savings and cost efciencies from a whole-system perspective. As a short-term measure, blending may not be the best use of available hydrogen, given that there is a lack of low carbon alternatives in other areas, such as some industrial processes. The report also ags up risks that consumers will have to pay more for heating because of the high cost of producing low carbon hydrogen, delaying decarbonisation of heat by locking in demand for gas boilers. However, blending could help hydrogen production get off the ground by creating an offtaker of last resort, it added, reducing the risk for investors by providing a constant demand. The NEPC report also calls for further assessments to establish standards to safeguard health and safety in hydrogen production, transportation, storage, and end use. THE POWER BEHIND PROJECT SUCCESS MINIMISE YOUR RISK SELECT AN ECA MEMBER: Members represent the best in electrotechnical engineering Have been throughly assessed for technical ability Are supported by the ECA warranty & bond Have access to industry-leading technical and business support Benet from extensive industry information, advice and updates Join us online: eca.co.uk/client info@eca.co.uk @ECAlive 0207 313 4800 Terms & conditions apply and are subject to change. Registered in England: Company Number 143669. Covering England, Wales & NI. 8 October 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Oct 22 pp08 News.indd 8 26/09/2022 13:53