Up to 2,000 homes could be receiving free new boilers as part of a scheme to help fight climate change.
Ellesmere Port has been shortlisted to become the 'UK's first hydrogen village'. This means up to 2,000 in the Whitby area of the town would stop using natural gas for heating and cooking - instead using hydrogen.
The proposal has been put forward by gas distribution network Cadent and British Gas, and supported by Cheshire West and Chester Council. Ellesmere Port was today confirmed in a shortlist of two locations hoping to be the first to use hydrogen on this scale, with the winning location to begin being supplied with hydrogen in 2025.
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Hydrogen can be supplied through the existing network of gas pipes. Unlike natural gas, it produces no carbon emissions when burned in a boiler to heat properties. If selected as the ‘hydrogen village’, every property in the selected area within Whitby will get free boiler upgrades, to new hydrogen-ready versions. This means residents continue using boilers they are familiar with today.
There is a guarantee too that, for the duration of the two-year programme, residents will pay the same to use hydrogen as they would pay for using natural gas.
Marc Clarke, Head of Hydrogen Consumer, Cadent, said: “This is a really exciting project that puts Whitby in Ellesmere Port right at the heart of a lower carbon future for the country as a whole.
“Previous projects have clearly shown hydrogen’s potential, and now, with this scheme, we are showing how hydrogen can be used at scale to cut emissions from heating and cooking. We already know that Whitby has an unparalleled geographic location for hydrogen.
"The North West is already on track to produce the low carbon hydrogen required for the scheme from Ellesmere Port’s HyNet project, and we have been undertaking work over the past few years to ensure the region’s pipes are ready to take hydrogen.”
Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “To help cut carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality in west Cheshire by 2045 we are looking at a range of different solutions, including alternative energy options, as set out in our Climate Emergency Response Plan.
“We’re already in a unique position to have the HyNet development on our doorstep, providing an opportunity to use hydrogen as a source of energy, not only to power industry in our area but also our homes. It will also provide significant job opportunities in a new, expanding sector, for people both locally and further afield.
“With the hope that the full 2025 village programme will be awarded to our region, the Council and Cadent will be working closely to create a strong community programme, with residents in Whitby, Ellesmere Port and throughout the borough. Residents will be engaged and empowered to co-produce this project throughout the process.”
