Whitby Hydrogen Heating Trial Called Off After Public Resistance

Undated file photo of a British Gas boiler controller. Philip Toscano/PA Media

A net zero trial for hydrogen heating has been called off for one of two sites after protests and public resistance from homeowners, with a Minister citing that there is “no strong local support” for the project.

The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said on Tuesday that a trial will no longer take place in the Whitby area of Ellesmere Port, north west England.

Residents have been protesting the site since the trial was announced.

The new hydrogen industry is seen as key to the UK’s plan to decarbonise all sectors of the economy, a target which has been signed into law, by 2050.

Trials had been proposed for Whitby, as well as Redcar in Teesside, that involved around 2,000 homes and was expected to begin in 2025 and last two years, with funding supplied by energy regulator Ofgem.

Cadent, the gas distribution network for Whitby, and Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the network for Redcar, submitted rival bids earlier this year to test a home-heating grid run without natural gas.

Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Martin Callanan said on Tuesday that there is “no strong local support” for trials in Whitby.

“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,” he wrote on Twitter.

‘Extremely Concerned’

Following the confirmation by the department, on Wednesday Redcar residents wrote a letter to the government to warn of the “lack of substantial local support” as the town is now the trial’s only remaining candidate.

The Redcar and Cleveland Hydrogen Trial Group said that 565 signatures from the proposed trial have signed a petition for these measures and are calling for a vote.

The letter said: “As residents, we are extremely concerned that there is a lack of independent advice and evidence available to us.”

“Redcar residents deserve unbiased information to help us make decisions that will directly affect our day to day lives,” it said.

The group called for independent experts to advise local residents on the risks and benefits of taking part in this trial, and more widely to advise the government on whether the trial should go ahead.”

‘Small Proxy’

Mike Foster, CEO of the industry body representing gas heating specialists The Energy and Utilities Alliance, told The Epoch Times that “this is effectively a small proxy of the debate” and instead of 2000 people in Whitby, it'll involve over 20 million houses across the UK.

On Tuesday, National Grid ESO, the UK’s system operator gave one net zero scenario reaching over 23 million heat pump installations in homes by 2050.

Mr. Foster said in such hydrogen trials, residents would not pay anymore, meaning their bills would be capped for two years for using the hydrogen boiler or heat pump as their natural gas boiler. Furthermore, they wouldn’t have to pay for the kit.

He explained that the trials are to test the process of home conversions from a natural gas boiler to a hydrogen one.

“Now, that doesn’t mean changing the boiler, it means changing parts inside the boiler,” he said, adding that those who did not want to go onto a hydrogen network could choose to have a heat pump fitted instead.

Mr. Foster said that if one had a heat pump put in as part of the trial, it couldn’t be taken out again, whereas a hydrogen boiler could be taken out and fitted with a natural gas boiler again.

“So people of the UK are going to be faced with the same offer from the government as the people in the trial. The only difference being those people in the trial would get all their kit for free. Whereas there is no prospect whatsoever of that offer being given to Joe Public,” he added.

‘Disappointing’

Environmental activists are pushing for heat pumps over hydrogen.

Alice Harrison, fossil fuels campaign leader at Global Witness, said: “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.”

Regarding Ellesmere Port, Cadent said in a statement: “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.”

An NGN spokesperson said: “We completed over 10 months of consultation in Redcar, including an independent survey which found 95 percent of residents and landlords felt positive or were neutral about our proposal.

“We also held a public meeting, conducted by an independent research company, and the feedback was included in our proposal, which was submitted to government.

“We entirely understand that there may be concerns about the move to hydrogen and electricity. Our door is always open, and we continue to actively encourage anyone with questions or reservations to come and speak to us at our ‘Hydrogen Hub’ on the High Street.”

“The government is currently reviewing our project proposal before setting out next steps.”

PA Media contributed to this report.