Hydrogen Experience Centre opens

Local residents can now visit the first demonstration facility of a proposed “hydrogen village” at Ellesmere Port.

Cadent, British Gas and Cheshire West and Chester Council hope that around 2,000 homes in the Whitby area of the town will become the UK’s first Hydrogen Village by 2025, using 100% hydrogen for heating, cooking, and hot water, instead of the natural gas they use now.

The Hydrogen Experience Centre, off McGarva Way, is now open for visitors to ask questions. Features of the centre include two boilers, fires, a hob and other common household appliances all fuelled by 100% hydrogen.

Customers within the area proposed for the Hydrogen Village can also book an in-home assessment, which includes a free gas safety check of their existing appliances.

Climate minister Graham Stuart said: “We want to know what the public think – so the UK decarbonises better and faster. We’re setting up lots of trials to find out hydrogen’s potential to provide heating – and get the public’s input.”

Jenny Luker, head of hydrogen for homes development at British Gas, urged the public to get involved: “Come and see how it feels to use hydrogen for cooking and heating your homes and businesses… it’s surprisingly familiar. We really want to know what you think of this carbon-free fuel.”

There is a room displaying examples of the gas appliances and technologies that would be available in a world with hydrogen heating, including hydrogen-ready boilers.

The centre is open on a drop-in basis Monday to Friday, 8am-6.30pm and Saturday, 9.30am-3pm and will operate on a first come, first served basis.

Ellesmere Port and the surrounding area is at the crux of the North West’s future energy strategy.

Much of the activity is clustered at Peel NRE’s 133-acre Protos site, where the next wave of plans for the £165m Plastic Park were signed off in July.