As the UK works towards its 2050 Net Zero goals, decarbonising the energy and utilities sector has become a national priority.

The gas industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions due to its reliance on natural gas. To reduce its carbon footprint, the sector is conducting trials to increase the use of hydrogen in the gas network.

Hydrogen, which is a “clean” or “low-carbon” alternative to natural gas, is being positioned to eventually overtake it as the UK’s primary fuel source, with deployment expected to increase significantly over the next decade.

What is hydrogen energy?

Hydrogen energy refers to the use of hydrogen gas as a fuel to generate energy. It is a clean alternative to natural gas and serves as a fuel or energy carrier. In fuel cells, hydrogen generates electricity by reacting with oxygen, with no greenhouse gases as a by-product.

Natural gas, on the other hand, accounted for 35% of total energy demand in 2024 and contains greenhouse gases, such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, and more. This natural gas is burned, creating hot gases that spin a turbine to generate energy.

Although hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in the universe, making up roughly 75% of all mass, it is not often present as a gas. Therefore, in order for hydrogen energy to be generated, hydrogen needs to be produced before it is used as a gas. The two most popular methods for generating clean hydrogen energy are referred to as “blue hydrogen” and “green hydrogen”.

Blue hydrogen energy – is created through splitting natural gas into hydrogen and carbon dioxide using a steam methane reformer (SMR). The carbon dioxide is then captured using a carbon capture and storage (CCS) device and stored underground, in order to prevent its release into the atmosphere.

Green hydrogen energy – is formed through using electricity to split apart hydrogen and oxygen molecules in water. This process, known as electrolysis, is considered a “green” method of production because it generates no greenhouse gas emissions. The process can also be renewable if the electricity used is from renewable energy sources.

Why has hydrogen energy historically not been used on a commercial scale?

Despite the potential of hydrogen energy as a clean energy source, the UK has been slow to transition away from natural gases. Much of the infrastructure needed for hydrogen production, transportation, and storage is still in the early stages of development. However, if the UK is to decarbonise its energy system, the gas industry will need to significantly increase the deployment of hydrogen technologies.

One key barrier to widespread adoption of hydrogen energy thus far is the challenge of transportation. Pure hydrogen is very flammable and has a low energy density by volume, which requires it to be compressed or liquefied during storage and transport. This can be costly, complex, and limit the amount of hydrogen that can be distributed at any one time.

To address this, several trials are in place to see if hydrogen energy can be transported through existing gas pipelines or if a new dedicated network of hydrogen energy pipelines is necessary. Hydrogen travels through pipes faster than natural gas, therefore, extensive testing needs to take place before the sector is certain that it can switch to 100% hydrogen energy over natural gas in the existing gas network.

Hydrogen energy has received a high level of government investment and attention. This is because it is viewed as the most viable alternative to natural gas and will help the UK to meet their Net Zero targets by 2050 through reduced carbon emissions.

What is the future of hydrogen energy?

In order to meet Net Zero goals and lower greenhouse gas emissions, the UK Government aims to scale up hydrogen energy production to 10GW capacity by 2030. In order to achieve this, the Government is exploring three main ways to boost production.

Hydrogen energy power projects

As of July 2025, 10 new hydrogen projects have been announced by the UK Government and will begin construction over the next few years.

These planned projects include producing “green hydrogen” energy sources to help decarbonise heavy industry in areas, such as South Wales, Bradford, North Scotland, and Teesside, which all rely on gas for fuel and energy. Some of the main projects involve:

• A hydrogen energy plant in North East Scotland that will supply green hydrogen energy to local industries, such as whisky distilleries.
• A coal-fired power station will be converted to a green hydrogen energy project to service local waste disposal operations.
• A hydrogen production plant in Bradford will produce green hydrogen energy for the mobility sector, including JCB and Wrightbus.

While these projects are focused on supplying hydrogen energy to regional heavy industrial plants rather than public supply, they represent significant steps towards decarbonising some of the UK’s most energy-intensive sectors.

Building hydrogen infrastructure

Project Union is a large-scale engineering project that will repurpose the existing gas pipelines, as well as build new ones where necessary, to create a “hydrogen backbone” in the UK, which will have the capacity to carry 100% hydrogen. The project aims to create a 1,500-mile transmission network across the UK that can be connected to consumers, industrial plants, and hydrogen production sites. This venture is vital to supporting the planned growth of hydrogen energy across the UK.

Increasing hydrogen blending

Hydrogen blending is where pure hydrogen is mixed with natural gas and distributed through the gas network. It has been part of the network since 2022, with current limits for the hydrogen mix at just 0.1% of volume. However, as of September 2025, the UK Government is consulting on whether this can be gradually increased to 20%.

The UK uses hydrogen blending to support decarbonisation and test whether our current gas networks can handle an increase in hydrogen gas. Whilst the goal for many in the industry is 100% hydrogen used in the UK’s gas networks, until that point, increasing hydrogen blending is the way forward. The testing facility hosted by FutureGrid is exploring how different variations of natural gas and hydrogen blends, as well as pure hydrogen, will affect existing gas pipelines at their facility.

Until the sector is confident in the safety of pure hydrogen being transported through the UK’s gas networks, allowing for a complete transition to hydrogen energy, hydrogen blending enables the UK to lower its greenhouse gas emissions and support the transition to Net Zero in 2050.

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