UK Shelves Hydrogen Town in Blow for Using Fuel in Home Heating

  • Several pilots using hydrogen for heating have been scrapped
  • Focus should switch to heat pumps, heating networks: E3G

A hydrogen boiler inside a home at a hydrogen test facility.

Photographer: Anthony Devlin/Bloomberg
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The UK government scrapped plans for a “hydrogen town” pilot, in another setback for the country’s plans to use the fuel to decarbonize its heating systems.

The UK has been exploring hydrogen’s potential to replace gas — which heats most British homes — but trials in Redcar and Whitby have already been canceled after local opposition. It still plans to make a decision in 2026 on whether hydrogen has a role to play in large-scale residential heating, according to a statement on Thursday from the government.