Norwegian energy company Equinor and its partners Northern Gas Networks and Cadent have launched a feasibility study ("H21 North of England" report) on how it is technically viable to use natural gas converted to hydrogen to decarbonise the heating sector in the United Kingdom.
Equinor estimates that clean hydrogen can be produced from natural gas using existing technology, at a self-powered 12 GW production centre with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. Approximately 3.7 million homes and 40,000 businesses currently heated by natural gas could be converted to hydrogen and become emission-free by 2034. The report also envisions how a further 12 million homes across the rest of the UK can be converted to hydrogen by 2050. Equinor believes that converting the UK’s entire gas grid to hydrogen has the ability to ensure the "deep decarbonisation" of the heating sector.
Since Equinor already provides about 25% of the UK natural gas demand, the group could be a significant player in supplying hydrogen..