A UK Government project has been launched to explore the potential of using hydrogen fuel to heat homes.

The £25 million Hydrogen for Heat Programme is being led by Arup in partnership with hydrogen specialists Kiwa Gastec.

Commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the initiative will explore the feasibility of converting a small village or estate to replace natural gas with hydrogen for cooking and heating.

The scheme includes examining how the zero-carbon gas could be used in homes and will facilitate the design and manufacture of new appliances such as fires, cookers and boilers, for both domestic and commercial use.

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Climate Change Minister Claire Perry said: "Our Clean Growth Strategy sets out how we intend to reduce carbon emissions from homes across the country. This £25 million Hydrogen for Heat Programme will provide important evidence on how we might convert heating and cooking systems to hydrogen, explore the feasibility of the transition from natural gas and, crucially, the opinions of the people who could be using this zero-carbon fuel."

Mark Neller, Associate Director at Arup, added: "The UK has an opportunity to lead the way in using hydrogen as an important domestic fuel, making a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. This project will help establish the feasibility of converting towns and cities to hydrogen in a cost effective way, making use of the current natural gas network."

The project is expected to run until March 2021.

(LM/MH)