HYDROGEN heating trials have been called off in Ellesmere Port after local protests.

The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) confirmed on Tuesday, July 11, that a trial will no longer take place in the Whitby area of the Cheshire town.

Trials had been proposed for Whitby, as well as Redcar in Teesside, involving hydrogen boilers being installed in around 2,000 homes.

Cadent, the gas distribution network for Whitby, and Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the network for Redcar, submitted rival bids earlier this year to test the feasibility of a home-heating grid run without natural gas.

But the plans prompted a backlash from homeowners in both areas, with concerns that hydrogen is less safe, less energy-efficient and more expensive than gas or electric heat pumps.

Conservative peer Lord (Martin) Callanan said on Tuesday that there is “no strong local support” for trials in Whitby but discussions over a Redcar trial continue.

He tweeted: “After listening to the views of residents, it’s clear that there is no strong local support, therefore Whitby will no longer be considered as the location for the UK’s first hydrogen village trial – discussions with NGN re Redcar are ongoing and we’ll announce next steps shortly.”

Cadent said the Government is “likely to progress the trial in Redcar” after DESNZ informed it that its proposal for Whitby is not preferred.

Responding to the news, Justin Madders, Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, said: “This decision has been inevitable for some time and I hope the Government and gas networks will learn from the mistakes that have been made in this process.

“It is clear that asking people to try experimental new forms of energy consumption for their homes will not work unless basic questions about safety, efficacy and cost can be answered from the start.

“It is also clear that leaving people with the impression that this was happening without their consent sent entirely the wrong message out about how we need to tackle climate change.

“We need written cast-iron assurances that this is the end of the matter and that the people of Whitby and Ellesmere Port will not have foisted on them at some later date a hydrogen village, a hydrogen town or some other variant. Local people have had enough.”

Michael Liebreich, founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, called it the “right decision”.

He said: “The key here is you need informed consent, just like you would in a drug trial.

“This is a process that’s intrusive, it is a change to your house, it’s a change in the way you heat, it’s a change to potentially your bills in the future, it’s a change to the way you cook, it can change your own future plans for going to different sources.”

Alice Harrison, fossil fuels campaign leader at Global Witness, said: “Hydrogen heating is the emperor’s new clothing for the oil and gas industry – a thinly veiled attempt for these companies to stay relevant and profitable, and to stall a genuinely green transition.

“Today’s decision to cancel the hydrogen heating trial in Whitby is a triumph of common sense over industry greenwash.

“Hydrogen does have a role to play in decarbonising our industry, but it would be a disaster as a source of home heating – it’s explosive, expensive and it’s much worse for the climate than alternatives like heat pumps.

“With the Whitby trial now out of the question, the Government must now do the same with Redcar and end the disastrous hydrogen trials.”

If successful, the proposed trial would begin in 2025 and last two years, with funding supplied by energy regulator Ofgem.

Cadent said in a statement: “We know that this will be disappointing to the many residents who told us they wanted their community to play a pioneering role in decarbonising how we heat our homes in the UK.

“We believe strongly in the role that hydrogen can play alongside other technologies and energy sources in reaching net zero.

“While Whitby won’t be the location for the trial, the information we have gained over the last 12 months will still play an invaluable role in shaping how the UK heats its homes and businesses in the future.

"This isn’t goodbye from us to the residents of Whitby. Beyond a final decision from Government on the project location in the autumn, we will continue to keep people in the community safe and warm as their gas distribution network.

"We will also continue to work relentlessly to make sure that our customers have access to options that meet their diverse needs on the journey to net zero."