Hydrogen ready boilers – how ready are they?

Leading boiler brands are active in developing hydrogen ready boilers for Europe’s residential market but large scale trials are yet to take place.

Hydrogen is expected to play a role in heating in many countries in the future with hydrogen replacing natural gas as a power source.

This in turn will require potentially costly changes to heating technologies for building owners as indeed it may for other natural gas appliances such as cookers as well as meters.

To enable owners to future proof investments manufacturers are developing hydrogen ready boilers that can be installed now and in time converted to run on pure hydrogen with only minor modifications – but so far the technology has only been proven in the lab.

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According to a recent study from Delta-EE, the furthest ahead are beyond prototype stage and will enter early series production in 2023 but some are waiting for clearer policy guidance before committing to new production lines.

There also is concern about the availability of sufficient hydrogen and the possibility that customers buying a first hydrogen ready boiler in 2025 will never actually use hydrogen. Lack of consumer awareness is another perceived barrier.

Delta-EE notes that up to three components will need to be replaced for hydrogen, the burner, the injector and the control software.

The gas pipes in the home also will need to be individually checked prior to conversion, although the majority of European homes with copper pipes already should be compatible.

Delta-EE also draws attention to hydrogen blending certification. Common wisdom is that blending up to about 20% can be utilised in the existing infrastructure. However, only one operational requirement, ‘flashback’, is tested with blended hydrogen during the validation process.

Markets

Regarding markets for hydrogen ready boilers, Delta-EE believes that the UK will be the largest, with significant policy support and a large addressable market.

Other countries including hydrogen for heating in their national strategies with varying opportunities for hydrogen ready boilers include France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

However, only Italy explicitly mentions hydrogen ready boilers, although there doesn’t appear to be consensus whether hydrogen should be used for heating.