The last hope for trialling hydrogen heating in Britain is teetering on the brink, as the gas network behind the project faces a local revolt.
Staff at Northern Gas Networks (NGN) have been going door-to-door in Redcar to shore up support for their experimental scheme amid growing discontent and the threat of protests by some residents.
The NGN trial would see the company supply hydrogen instead of natural gas to as many as 2,000 homes in the area from 2025.
The fate of the project has significant implications for UK energy policy, because it is seen as the last chance for the gas industry to prove to the Government that hydrogen heating can be practically implemented.
Ministers cancelled the only other proposed national trial in Whitby, Ellesmere Port, over summer because of a lack of “strong local support”.
Now, a group of residents in Redcar are campaigning for the hydrogen trial there to be cancelled as well, with just weeks to go before ministers are expected to announce whether it can go ahead. Residents are planning to hold protests, including one on the morning of November 18.
Opposition there has so far been less vocal than in Whitby but is growing, raising serious doubts about whether NGN will be able to prove it commands widespread local support.
Dawn Campbell, a grandmother-of-two who owns two properties likely to be affected by the trial, said on Friday: “It is the fact that we were never really asked whether we wanted this, which I think is undemocratic, but I am also concerned about the safety aspect of it.
“This would be an experiment really. I am worried about my two tenants and also worried about my investments.”
If the trial proceeds, residents would be able to choose between having their natural gas heating converted to run on hydrogen or – if they do not wish to participate – having an electrical alternative installed, such as a heat pump.
Ms Campbell said: “There is no way to opt out and keep your gas. I know some people who have said they wouldn’t let the hydrogen people into their homes.”
On Friday, the Government reiterated that it would not progress the trial in Redcar without community support. A decision is expected before the end of this year.
The case for hydrogen was dealt another major blow last month, when the National Infrastructure Commission said it was an inefficient solution that risked saddling consumers with higher bills.
Amid the rising concern, NGN has been asked by Redcar and Cleveland Council to organise a meeting for residents to have their concerns heard and addressed in December.