We've Completed Construction of Our World-First Green Gas Network

(SGN) We have reached a key milestone on our H100 Fife project, with the completion of the construction of the world’s first domestic hydrogen gas network in Levenmouth, Fife.

Green hydrogen gas, created using renewable electricity from a local 7MW offshore wind turbine, will flow through the new 8.4km network when it goes live next year.

Residents living in the area will then have the option of joining Scotland’s first green hydrogen community by signing up to our H100 Fife trial.

H100 Fife will enable customers to heat their homes and cook food free of carbon emissions. The project is providing critical evidence to inform future low-carbon policy decisions for Scotland and the UK, expected in 2026.

Hydrogen provides a similar user experience to natural gas. Participants in H100 Fife will still have boilers and radiators and be able to keep their homes at a comfortable temperature the same way as they do now. The key difference is that hydrogen doesn’t produce any carbon when it burns.

H100 Fife Distribution Manager Max Biret said: “I'm thrilled to announce the completion of our green gas network. The exceptional teamwork and dedication from our SGN team and our contractors SMART Utilities made this possible. We’re grateful to the Levenmouth community for your trust, patience, and cooperation. Your support has been invaluable in helping us deliver a high-quality project on schedule.

“Having this new network in place means we can start converting customers to green hydrogen once our production and storage site is ready next year. We’re still welcoming more customers to join if you live in the network area. We’ll support you every step of the way through your energy transition.”

We are upskilling gas engineers to enable them to connect the homes taking part in the trial to the new hydrogen gas mains. We are also partnering with Fife College to open the UK’s first hydrogen training facility later early next year. Existing Gas Safe engineers will be trained at the facility on how to fit new hydrogen appliances.

SMART Utilities Construction Manager Stuart Russell and his team installed the new network and will be connecting homes to it when it goes live. He said: “I was born and bred in Fife and feel very proud to be delivering this world first green energy project for the local community. I'm delighted to see that so many local people have taken the opportunity to be part of this first of its kind decarbonisation scheme.” READ MORE; includes VIDEO

Fife College and gas distribution company SGN will open the UK’s first-ever hydrogen training facility for gas engineers in the second half of 2024.

Based in Fife College’s Levenmouth Campus, the new training facility will create a new net zero workforce in Fife by upskilling over 200 existing Gas Safe registered engineers to work with hydrogen gas. SGN has been developing the training courses in partnership with Fife College since June 2022, alongside key stakeholders such as Energy & Utility Skills Partnership and the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM).

Engineers who receive the training will work on SGN’s world-first green hydrogen trial – H100 Fife. H100 Fife will be supplying green hydrogen to a few hundred homes in Levenmouth in Fife through a new hydrogen gas network, which is currently being built alongside the existing natural gas network.

“Our industry needs a diverse and skilled workforce to continue to keep communities safe and warm while we transition towards net zero.

“We’re delighted to be working with Fife College on building this first of a kind training centre, which brings us one step closer to bringing green hydrogen gas to domestic customers for the first time.”

Training will be delivered to local Gas Safe registered engineers in Fife by expert trainers with experience in delivering natural gas training with support from industry professionals. The course will enable engineers to safely install, test and commission the hydrogen supply system in people's homes including the newly developed hydrogen appliances (boilers, hobs and meters).

Pioneering hydrogen gas appliances, which work similarly to their natural gas equivalents, will be used in the training facility. These will be provided by leading manufacturers including MeteRSit, Pietro Fiorentini, Baxi, Clean Burner Systems (CBS), BSH and Worcester Bosch.

“Fife College is honoured and excited to be establishing the UK's first-ever hydrogen training facility, in partnership with SGN. By upskilling more than 200 gas engineers at our cutting-edge Levenmouth Campus, we are at the forefront of training the vital future workforce the country so desperately needs to make the transition to clean energy. Together with SGN we are proud to be shaping a cleaner, greener future for our local communities."

SGN CEO Mark Wild OBE, who also chairs the Energy & Utility Skills Partnership said:

“It’s so important to prepare gas engineers today, for the skills they’ll need tomorrow. They are the guardians of our gas network, on the frontline making sure communities are safe, warm and have access to the critical services they need. They’ll also play a key role in the years to come ensuring our industry is at the heart of the UK’s ambitions to achieve net zero.”

Heating in buildings accounts for over 20% of national carbon emissions, so decarbonising heat is essential to delivering net zero. Hydrogen is a clean burning alternative to fossil fuels from which we can harness energy. It has a wide range of applications across key energy sectors, including heat, power and transport. Alongside other low carbon technologies, such as heat networks and heat pumps, hydrogen could play an important role in transitioning homes across the UK away from fossil fuels.

The H100 Fife project is being delivered by gas distribution SGN and will be the first trial in the world to deliver green hydrogen gas into homes for heating. Green hydrogen can be created using clean energy like wind power, meaning there are no harmful carbon emissions involved. H100 Fife is part of the UK Government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and will provide evidence to help inform future low-carbon policy decisions for Scotland and the UK. Find out more here. READ MORE