BSEE-JUL21-P07 Honeywell Comment_Layout 1 23/06/2021 15:01 Page 7


INDUSTRY COMMENT Recommendations, not rules


Martyn Bridges, Director of Technical Communication and Product Management at Worcester Bosch, discusses the International Energy Agency Statement surrounding fossil fuels


T


he International Energy Agency (I.E.A) issued on the 18th May a


statement detailing the need for investment and adoption of actions to reduce and eliminate the use of fossil fuels.


With the net zero target, actions need to be taken in the short term to start to reduce emissions. It is no surprise then that the debate surrounding hydrogen boilers and gas hybrids continues. The banning of fossil fuel boilers looks inevitable and Worcester Bosch and other manufacturers have been planning for this outcome for several years.


The report


In their recent 400-page report, the IEA have detailed


recommendations on how best to reduce and eliminate harmful emissions such as carbon dioxide. Unsurprisingly, what made headlines was the statement on fossil fuel boilers, with many newspapers and TV stations finding easy headlines informing us that ‘gas fired boilers would be banned from 2025’. However, according to the IEA statement this is a recommendation and is targeted at gas in its current form. It goes onto say that the only gas boilers they would recommend to be sold after 2025 are those that can connect to a carbon free gas source such as Hydrogen. As a result, we have been contacted by various news agencies for comments on the future use of hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas. So here’s the story: Worcester and other manufacturers have been calling for Hydrogen for over three years now.


Blends are key


At Worcester we believe hydrogen is the best way forward for gas fired boilers, particularly in existing properties.


It’s a convenient solution for the


IEA. If they are calling for gas boiler sales to be banned in its current form, there is a ready replacement with Hydrogen Ready boilers. In fact the report didn’t specify whether their recommendation was for 100% Hydrogen or a blend of say 20% Hydrogen.


It is a known fact that since the early 2000s every condensing boiler that Worcester Bosch, and most other manufacturers, have sold can be connected on a blend of hydrogen up to 20%.


However, to date there has been no indication on how rich the hydrogen part of the blend will be. On a granular level, we could argue that from the IEA’s statement we are able to carry on selling the products we are making, due to a lack of specification of how rich the hydrogen must be, or whether it is 100% hydrogen that the boiler must be connected to.


I believe the IEA will want boilers to eventually run on 100% hydrogen, and if that is the case, we would be able to deliver.


Clear position


The industry is in a clear position. We know by 2025 we will be making boilers that can be converted to hydrogen.


Worcester have had hydrogen prototype boilers working either in our own laboratories or at the trial sites that BEIS have organised, and more trials are planned. To date, there have not been any issues with appliances and heating running on hydrogen.


We know that as an industry we have to prepare for a net zero future and we have been doing so. We are comfortable with the IEA’s position and will continue producing new heating and hot water technologies that will help us reduce emissions and get to that target. This clear position just needs to be correctly communicated to homeowners. Click-bait articles - like the ones off the back of the IEA statement - does not help that.


‘ I believe the IEA will want


boilers to eventually run on 100% hydrogen, and if that is the case, we would be able to deliver.


’


BSEE


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BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JULY 2021 7


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