A proposed trial of hydrogen-fuelled boilers has been scrapped after local protests about intrusion and safety.
People in the Whitby area of Ellesmere Port in Cheshire will no longer have a trial, while another planned pilot in Redcar is under review.
Cadent and Northern Gas Networks had won the bids to run the trials but ministers said that with no local support, the project in Whitby has been halted
Lord Callanan for the government said it was clear the residents in Whitby were unhappy with the safety aspects of the trial, but experts said it was the right decision to call a halt.
After listening to the views of residents,it’s clear that there is no strong local support, therefore Whitby will no longer be considered as the location for the UK's first hydrogen village trial – discussions with NGN re Redcar are ongoing and we'll announce next steps shortly.
— Martin Callanan (@MartinCallanan) July 10, 2023
Michael Liebreich, founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, told the Standard: “The key here is you need informed consent, just like you would in a drug trial.
“This is a process that’s intrusive, it is a change to your house, it’s a change in the way you heat, it’s a change to potentially your bills in the future, it’s a change to the way you cook, it can change your own future plans for going to different sources.”
Alice Harrison, fossil fuels campaign leader at Global Witness, said: “Today’s decision to cancel the hydrogen heating trial in Whitby is a triumph of common sense over industry greenwash.
“With the Whitby trial now out of the question, the government must now do the same with Redcar and end the disastrous hydrogen trials.”
Cadent said in a statement: “We know that this will be disappointing to the many residents who told us they wanted their community to play a pioneering role in decarbonising how we heat our homes in the UK.
“We believe strongly in the role that hydrogen can play alongside other technologies and energy sources in reaching net zero.”