The Opportunity

The objective of this Opportunity is to shortlist the submissions that best answer the brief, with the aim of attending a presentation day with the EIC Industry Partners, where it can be discussed in greater detail with a technical panel.

What is the Problem?

To support the government’s net zero ambitions, it is going to be necessary for the UK’s gas networks to transition to hydrogen. There are already a number of large scale projects underway to begin introducing hydrogen to industrial and domestic consumers. One such project, East Coast Hydrogen, is a collaborative project between Northern Gas Networks, Cadent, and National Gas, which will see existing assets between Teeside and Humberside utilised to begin distributing Hydrogen across the North East of England.

Despite these large industry-wide projects, there is a risk that some more rural areas situated away from the major pipelines may not benefit. In light of increasing fuel costs there is additional strain on farming communities, making it necessary for farmers to start considering alternative energy/fuel sources.

Preferred Output

Northern Gas Networks are keen to promote hydrogen adoption to the farming industry in rural parts of their region that may not benefit from the East Coast Hydrogen project. The desired output is a feasibility study/research project that will consider the use cases for hydrogen on farms, including but not limited to:

• On site hydrogen production/storage
• Fertiliser production
• Hydrogen vehicles
• Domestic and industrial heating/energy)

This study should conclude whether or not farms in the region are suitable candidates for early hydrogen adoption.

Question & Answer Session with the Networks

If you'd like to speak to the Network launching this call directly in order to clarify any points etc, then please register here.