In an open letter, the Government inviteed Gas Distribution Network (GDN) Operators to propose outline planning projects for areas of their gas networks which would potentially be suitable for early conversion to hydrogen.

This work will contribute to development of plans for a possible pilot hydrogen heated town by 2030, one of the milestones in the government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. The letter provides guidance to the gas network operators on what should be included in outline plans, and how to apply for funding from BEIS to contribute to the costs of developing them.

As set out in the Heat and Buildings Strategy, the government will make strategic decisions in 2026 about the role of hydrogen in heating.

To inform those decisions the government is working with GDNs and others on a wide range of R&D, testing and trials projects, to assess the feasibility, costs and benefits of using low carbon hydrogen for heating in place of natural gas.

Planning work is required now to deliver plans by 2025 for a possible pilot hydrogen town, so that, should hydrogen become part of our decarbonisation pathway in 2026, we are well prepared to begin roll out.

The open letter is the first step towards planning for the hydrogen town trial, with a pilot location for the trial set to be chosen at a later stage.

Find more information on the open letter here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hydrogen-heating-town-pilot-open-letter-to-gas-distribution-networks