Hydrogen for Heating Technical Support Contract

This notice is to inform suppliers that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is planning to issue an invitation to tender for the procurement of technical support in relation to its work on hydrogen for heating.

BEIS intends to tender this work through the Heat Networks and Electricity Generation Assets (HELGA) dynamic purchasing system and therefore encourages interested suppliers to register.

BEIS anticipate hosting a supplier engagement event to discuss the types of skills and expertise we are looking for and to hold individual sessions with interested parties to understand the market offer.

When: 10:00 - 14:00 on Friday 8th November 2019 Where: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET To sign up to the event, please email jenna.owen@beis.gov.uk by 17:00 Monday 4th November 2019.

Background Context: The use of natural gas provides both a major share of the UK's energy supplies and a large proportion of UK carbon dioxide emissions.

For the UK to meet its legal obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, it will be necessary to virtually eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from buildings.

This will require a wholesale transition away from burning natural gas.

A range of technologies could have the potential to contribute on a large scale to the transition to low carbon heating in buildings and industry, and offer consumers good cost-effective heating options in the future.

One potential option might be the use of pure or near pure hydrogen in the gas system, instead of natural gas, taking advantage of the UK's extensive gas distribution network.

This option may offer benefits compared to other approaches, including potentially avoiding or reducing some of the infrastructure challenges and barriers to consumer take up which alternatives based on electric heating might involve but more evidence is needed.

However, further work is required in order to fully test, assess and develop the potential of hydrogen as an option for decarbonising heat and in particular to demonstrate its safety and feasibility.

BEIS is working closely with industry to ensure that the range of relevant projects is sufficiently comprehensive and effectively planned and coordinated.