Cadent Gas launches Hydrogen 10 Point Plan

Cadent launches a 10 Point Plan setting out an ambitious and long-term commitment to decarbonising the way we use energy in homes and businesses, whilst also creating jobs across the UK.

The delivery of Net Zero by 2050 requires an unprecedented amount of change, investment alongside collaboration and Cadent is committing as a business to rising to that challenge.

Cadent is the UK’s largest distributor of natural gas to 11 million homes and committed to moving towards low carbon energy like hydrogen. Achieving these goals will require the Government to put measures in place to support the large-scale production of hydrogen.

Included in the 10 Point Plan are clear measures that will deliver investment in jobs and education. Cadent will continue to place colleagues and consumers at the heart of its business.

Steve Fraser, Chief Executive of Cadent, said:
“No one should be left behind on the journey to Net Zero. Our ambition is to make hydrogen a safe, fair and reliable choice for consumers.

“Achieving the full potential of this 10 Point Plan, will require collaboration with industry and Government to deliver regulatory frameworks that enable the blending of hydrogen into the gas grid and support new hydrogen infrastructure. Hydrogen production will need to be scaled up and investment secured. We believe this should be aligned with a mandate to introduce ‘hydrogen-ready’ boilers as soon as possible.

“This means as existing boilers naturally become defunct, households will replace them with green boilers, meaning homes will be ready to switch to 100% hydrogen when it’s introduced into the network in the future. As a result, this will mean no major disruption or upfront costs for millions of people across the UK.”

• Under the 10 Point Plan, Cadent will:
• Introduce net zero construction sites from 2023
• Deliver the first scaled hydrogen blending facility from 2025
• Deliver the UK’s first 100% hydrogen pipeline by 2027
• Enable 5GW of hydrogen production our region by 2030
• Launch a Hydrogen Skills Academy by 2024
• Develop a hydrogen education programme by 2024
• Put pace into the adoption of hydrogen vehicles from 2025
• Provide finance for low carbon heating for our employees now
• Publish plans to demonstrate heat decarbonisation of whole communities by 2025
• Install hydrogen-ready appliances by 2026 or sooner

Steve Fraser said: “We cannot deliver this ambition alone and we know that there are many organisations facing similar challenges. Our aim is to collaborate to be successful, to provide an anchor point for regional and local hydrogen challenges and to deliver through action, innovation and demonstration.”

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