Hydrogen Skills and Standards for Heat
This programme will help define the required criteria to safely repurpose existing natural gas equipment for hydrogen and to train a workforce of competent hydrogen gas installers.
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The Hydrogen Skills and Standards for Heat programme is working towards the development of technical standards for domestic and non-domestic hydrogen gas installations, and on associated competence frameworks and training specifications for installers. These will enable re-purposing of the existing natural gas system to be used with 100% hydrogen downstream of the emergency control valve (ECV).
The standards developed will define the required criteria to safely repurpose existing natural gas equipment for hydrogen, to design and install new hydrogen-safe pipework and appliances, and to train a workforce of competent hydrogen gas installers.
The work will support future hydrogen trial activities and consideration of hydrogen for heat as a potential decarbonisation pathway. The programme forms part of the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.
The programme is made up of 4 elements.
1. Supporting technical research and evidence gathering
An Invitation to Tender (ITT) was launched in September 2021 to appoint contractors to undertake research that will close gaps in the existing hydrogen evidence base.
Five contracts within the programme have been awarded to suppliers to undertake supporting technical research and evidence gathering. See summaries of each workstream and further details of each contract in the Award Notice.
2. Hydrogen gas ancillary device and component standards
A series of Publicly Available Specification (PAS) standards will be developed by the British Standards Institution (BSI) to codify guidance and specifications for ancillary hydrogen gas devices and components used downstream of the ECV. The series of PAS standards will cover functional and test requirements for hydrogen gas metering, material requirements for ancillary components and devices, and functional and test methods for complex ancillary components and devices for use with hydrogen.
3. Hydrogen gas enabling standards
The Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM) will use latest information from industry to update the Hydrogen Reference Standard for low pressure hydrogen utilisation. Following the update, two full enabling standards will be produced covering considerations for gas installers for domestic and non-domestic scenarios (up to light industrial sites). The standards will cover both installing new gas pipes and repurposing existing gas infrastructure in a building.
4. Hydrogen competence framework and training specifications
Energy and Utility Skills (EUS) will codify both the IGEM domestic and non-domestic enabling standards into competency frameworks and training specifications to facilitate the training of a competent workforce for trials. They will produce Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) assessment criteria and Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) assessment modules for both enabling standards, working with industry to ensure there is a clear path for existing competent engineers to train for hydrogen installations.
Last updated 13 April 2022 + show all updates
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Added summaries of projects awarded contracts to undertake supporting technical research and evidence gathering.
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First published.