INDUSTRY INSIGHT
www.heatingandventilating.net
The future of gas boilers T
Martyn Bridges, director of technical services at Worcester Bosch, discusses how the landscape of gas boilers is set to change after the Heat and Buildings Strategy
he Heat and Buildings Strategy published at the end of last year by the UK Government set out a list of proposals and ambitions to transition the heating and hot water market to a net zero economy by 2050. This period
of change is set to have a significant impact on the future of natural gas boilers. If the Heat and Buildings Strategy is implemented as written, we can expect that there will be no natural gas boilers used in the United Kingdom by 2050. Viable alternatives to natural gas and LPG are being developed, with hydrogen boiler trials taking place in England and Scotland. Although natural gas boilers may not be around one day, it is likely that gas
boilers will stay with us although it looks like we will begin to use alternatives to methane such as hydrogen or bio-LPG.
Heat and Buildings Strategy
One of the statements within the Heating and Buildings Strategy was the desire to see the end of natural gas-firing boilers by approximately 2035. Natural gas boilers tend to have an average life of 15 years, meaning in theory, due to natural lifecycles there should be no Natural gas boilers still being used in the UK by that point. As the ultimate aim of the Heat and Buildings Strategy is to decarbonise heat
by cutting emissions, it is inevitable that natural gas or methane, and LPG gas fired boilers have an end date. However, with trials for alternatives still ongoing, it suggests that the shift to low-carbon technologies will be a slow one as it’s a matter of convincing homeowners to want to make the switch.
Tests and trials
Alternatives to natural gas and LPG are continually being developed and evaluated. There is currently two hydrogen boiler trials taking place in the North of England, which is being followed by a larger trial of 300 occupied homes in Scotland. There then follows a 2,000 home trial either in Redcar or Elmsmere Port by 2025.
Although natural gas boilers may not be around one day, it is likely that gas boilers will stay with us although it looks like we will begin to use alternatives to methane such as hydrogen or bio-LPG
These hydrogen boiler trials should be successful in proving that hydrogen gas is a viable alternative to natural gas. Another positive is that the installation process for a hydrogen gas boiler is exactly the same as a natural gas boiler. They share the exact same boiler flue accessories, installation methods and the heating system design is the same. Therefore, the installer skillset required to move to hydrogen from natural gas or LPG is very similar. Similarly, LPG, which is not as prevalent as natural gas, has an alternative in
bio-LPG. Bio-LPG produces zero carbon dioxide when in use. Replacing natural gas with clean hydrogen has obvious benefits, such as
producing zero carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide with water being the main constituent of the flue gases. The future of gas boilers is predicted to see the phasing out of natural gas as part of the government’s decarbonisation strategy. Due to the longevity of current boilers, the end-of-life date of the natural gas boiler is likely to be 2035, when they are replaced by viable and feasible alternatives such as hydrogen or bio-LPG boilers. Homeowners will be reassured that the gas boiler they know, and trust is here
to stay albeit using environmentally friendly gases rather than the current gas which we use.
24 July 2022
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