The United Kingdom's plans to begin delivering gas blends of 20 percent hydrogen from next year would be unwise, a scientific study has concluded, as they would increase gas bills and exacerbate the existing price crisis.
Published in the 238th edition of the journal Energy, the study was conducted by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology in Kassel, Germany.
It assesses how a 20 percent hydrogen blend in domestic gas supplies, predominantly used for heating, would affect the carbon impact of the gas across its lifecycle. How this blend would affect prices is also considered. All conclusions are based on a scenario taking place within the European Union, but the researchers have stated that findings would likely be similar for the United Kingdom.
On the former, the conclusion is that a blend of 20 percent hydrogen and 80 percent natural gas will deliver a 7 percent reduction in lifecycle emi