Maintaining your ACS qualifications

Ten-point plan to tackle climate change could bring 250,00 jobs

Last month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out the government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution that he said would tackle climate change and create up to 250,000 jobs as part of the drive towards the UK’s 2050 net-zero carbon target.

In the plan, the Prime Minister says: “We will turn the UK into the world’s number one Baxi Heating and Worcester Bosch hydrogen-burning boilers are working in ‘Hy Street’, in specially built demonstration houses at DNV GL’s specialist test site at Spadeadam, Northumberland.

The site has been used to complete more than 200 tests, researching and proving the safety of converting homes and gas networks to hydrogen.

For the first demo, both Worcester Bosch and Baxi Heating have installed combis in the houses on HyStreet. The boilers have been developed as part of the government-funded Hy4Heat programme, which is also supporting the development of hydrogen-ready gas cookers, fires and gas meters.

The project is part of H21, a Network Innovation Competition project sponsored by Ofgem. Northern Gas Networks is leading the project with partners Cadent, Scottish Gas Networks, Wales & West Utilities, National Grid, DNV GL and HSE’s science division. H21 is demonstrating how existing natural gas networks can carry 100 per cent hydrogen safely.

Tim Harwood, Northern Gas Networks’ project director for H21, says: “Seeing the boilers in situ at Spadeadam is an exciting step in the journey to realising centre for green technology and finance, laying the foundations for decades of economic growth by delivering net-zero emissions in a way that creates jobs and allows us to carry on living our lives.”

The government plans include an ambition to fit 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028. Funding was also including offshore wind, carbon capture and storage, nuclear plants and hydrogen.

The government says it will invest in new hydrogen production to generate enough of the gas to heat a whole town by the end of this decade, and to build large and small-scale nuclear reactors. It also wants to quadruple the production of offshore wind power.

The sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will end in 2030, although hybrid vehicles can continue until 2035. The government pledged to accelerate the roll-out of electric vehicle charging points, as well as promising grants to encourage people to switch.

The Green Homes Grant in England will be extended by a year into 2022.

First hydrogen demo under way in ‘Hy Street’ homes

announced for investment our goal of a gas network transporting 100 per cent hydrogen to customers. The hydrogen boiler looks and feels just like the natural gas version we all have today and is just as user-friendly, showing that a transition could cause minimal disruption to customers.”

Karen Boswell, managing director of Baxi Heating, adds: “This is an important step forward on our hydrogen journey and we are delighted to be able to demonstrate this innovative new technology in a real-life setting.”

Carl Arntzen, CEO of Worcester Bosch, says: “It proves that hydrogen gas has great potential as a zero-carbon alternative to natural gas for heating and hot water.

“These initial tests are incredibly encouraging and will hopefully give key decisionmakers confidence to deploy hydrogen as a fuel for the future.”

Definition now set for hydrogen-ready boilers

HHIC members have developed a technical specification for hydrogen-ready boilers. The definition will help to ensure that safe products are made ready for a switch from natural gas to hydrogen, along with a pledge that the conversion takes less than an hour to complete by a Gas Safe competent engineer, using manufacturers’ certificated conversion kits.

HHIC director Stewart Clements says: “A gas appliance that ‘out of the box’ is designed and approved to be installed for use on natural gas, and following a conversion and re-commissioning process in the home, will then operate safely and efficiently using a hydrogen supply, is essential to deliver a net-zero heating solution for the vast majority of homes in the UK.

“Converting the gas grid to hydrogen requires a boiler that can be converted. Industry has agreed how this should be done, to minimise the cost and impact.

“Converting a boiler in less than an hour is less time than it currently takes to service a boiler. This is a huge step forward to help the UK decarbonise, while giving the consumer all the benefits they get at the moment from their heating system.”

“These technical developments are an essential ingredient in building the platform to enable a safe and cost-effective switch to a net-zero future.”

CIPHE warning on burns and scalds

The CIPHE is warning the government and householders that the risk of burns and scalds this winter is rising as people spend more time at home. The number of contact burns from heating appliances rocketed by 25 per cent and scalding incidents from taps were up by 9 per cent, according to NHS Digital Hospital Episode Statistics for England 2019-2020.

The institute is urging the government to extend the legislation on TMVs to make their use compulsory in all homes and to ensure that all those working on plumbing and heating systems are qualified and competent to do so.

Last month’s competition winner

Krzysztof Regula from Stanley, Derbyshire, won a full year of Checkatrade membership. Congratulations!