HyMotion- Network Supplied Hydrogen Unlocks Low Carbon Opportunities

The Government’s recently published ‘Road to Zero’ strategy sets out objectives to electrify cars and reduce emissions from heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) through policies such as ending the sale of diesel and petrol cars and subsidising electric charging infrastructure. The CCC response to the strategy, however, stated that the proposed measures do not go far enough. New Government policies, combined with action from industry, will be required for mobility related carbon reduction targets to be met.
Hydrogen has been identified by the Government and CCC as one potential solution. The CCC report on a possible future hydrogen economy recognises that, in particular, hydrogen may have an important role to play for long distance journeys and heavy goods transport. This view was echoed further in the recent CCC ‘Net Zero’ report.
Cadent’s HyNet project will produce low carbon hydrogen through reformation of natural gas combined with carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). HyNet has primarily been designed to supply low carbon heat to industry and a blend of hydrogen to Cadent’s existing natural gas network, but also provides the opportunity to supply low cost hydrogen for mobility. The HyMotion project has considered the relative merits of such an approach, modelled potential demand scenarios and sought to determine technical and commercial solutions to enable deployment.
Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) share powertrain technologies with battery electric vehicles (BEVs), but the roll-out of BEVs is currently ahead of FCEVs. This is largely due to a lack of low cost, low carbon bulk hydrogen production and refuelling infrastructure, both of which HyNet seeks to address.