THE UK’s first houses with appliances fuelled entirely by hydrogen are to be built in the North-East, it has been revealed. The innovative semi-detached properties, which Northern Gas Networks NGN will build in partnership with the Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and fellow gas distribution network company Cadent, will be located at the company’s Low Thornley site, near Gateshead.

The project secured £250,000 of funding from the BEIS Hy4Heat competition which aims to establish whether it is technically possible, safe and efficient to use hydrogen for heating homes and commercial buildings.

The houses will be built by April 2021 and showcase the use of 100 per cent hydrogen for domestic heating and cooking. The project will demonstrate that homes can be heated by clean energy and that hydrogen can play a vital role in achieving the government’s ambitious target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Unlike natural gas, which is responsible for over 30 per cent of carbon emissions, hydrogen produces no carbon at the point of use.

For the first time, the hydrogen house will give members of the public a glimpse into a hydrogen-fuelled future, enabling them to interact with a range of hydrogen-fed appliances including boilers, hobs, cookers, fires and a barbecue.

The appliances will be rotated so that different manufacturers will be able to showcase their innovations and seek feedback from users. Hydrogen boilers have already been developed by leading manufacturers Baxi Heating and Worcester Bosch and prototypes of fires, cookers and hobs are also available form partners working with BEIS on Hy4Heat projects.

In addition, the houses will be made available for group visits from schools, colleges and universities with the aim of educating children and young adults about the energy requirements of houses and how these will be met in the future.

The houses will make educational visitors aware of potential careers in the emerging green economy and in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

Mark Horsley, chief executive officer of NGN said ‘‘We’re delighted to be at the forefront of innovation, giving customers a glimpse into a hydrogen-heated home of the future.

“Customers understand the impact on carbon emissions of running a diesel or petrol car, but the impact of home heating is less well understood. We believe a hydrogen gas network could provide the least invasive and most cost-effective route to zero carbon home heating for the majority of UK homes”

“Gas networks are reliable and extremely resilient and responsive to demands. With 85 per cent of the UK connected to the gas network it is logical to repurpose this vast asset to carry a clean-burning gas like hydrogen.”

Energy Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: "From running a bath and cooking our evening meals to turning on the heating, most of us use natural gas every day.

"We need to find alternatives to fossil fuels and move towards making renewable energy the norm.“While these new houses in Gateshead will look like any other, they will showcase how low carbon hydrogen can transform the way we power our homes and offer a glimpse of what the future holds, as we build back greener”

Steve Fraser, chief executive officer at Cadent said: “We are proud to be part of this important project where we will be able to show customers what their future gas appliances will look like.

"A familiar sight to them, with one difference, they will be powered by hydrogen.

“We’re also delighted to be working with NGN on another hydrogen project. From blending 20 per cent hydrogen with natural gas to 100 per cent hydrogen to heat our homes and use for cooking too. "These projects are so important to demonstrate a decarbonised energy solution in homes now.”