Ahead of Utility Week's Future of Heat 2021 we asked our speakers the below questions, see what they had to say…
Tim Harwood
Head of Programme Management and H21 Project Director
Northern Gas Networks
What can we expect from your contribution at the 2021 Utility Week Future of Heat Conference?
A vision for a hydrogen-fuelled gas network of the future
What are you most looking forward to hearing about at the Conference?
Opportunity to hear about other projects tackling the heat challenge
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing the heat sector at the moment?
The scale of the challenge, the lack of public awareness about hydrogen (versus electrification) and the challenges of upscaling hydrogen production
Why do you think that the Future of Heat Conference is an important meeting in driving real progress in heat decarbonisation across the UK?
The conference will bring together key stakeholders from across the heat sector, giving the opportunity to share best practice and network
Katriona Eldmann
Chancellor's fellow in energy
University of Edinburgh
What can we expect from your contribution at the 2021 Utility Week Future of Heat Conference?
Hydrogen has significant potential as a low carbon energy technology to mitigate climate change and contribute to achieving NetZero targets. While hydrogen has the highest energy density of any fuel, its low mass means large-scale storage solutions will be required to enable the hydrogen transformation. The only mechanism to provide the amounts of storage required to decarbonise heat and provide energy storage for increased renewable uptake is underground storage in suitable geological formations. I will provide an overview of the geological storage options and capacities for hydrogen and share the findings from the UKRI funded HyStorPor project investigating the feasibility of hydrogen storage in porous rocks. Our early findings show that the entire UK hydrogen heat storage demand can be stored in one or two depleted gas fields and that our experimental investigations find that storage on geological formation is feasible.
I am looking forward to highlighting that the large scale hydrogen storage options are readily available to enable hydrogen generation and deployment at scale.
What are you most looking forward to hearing about at the Conference?
The conference brings together the whole decarbonising heat chain so we can maximise our joined-up thinking, to enable the decarbonisation of heat, as we need all the tools in out toolbox and there is no single solution, we all have a part to play. Of particular personal interest is the panels and talks on the hydrogen transformation. This is more likely to be achieved if we integrate all the components of the hydrogen system, from the generation of renewable energy, the production of hydrogen via electrolysis or steam reformation of methane with its transport, storage, supply, market and policy to develop the hydrogen economy.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing the heat sector at the moment?
Who pays for the low carbon transition? Confidence in the deployment and feasibility of the technologies (even the new ones such as hydrogen) is high so I see no technological barriers. The regulatory barriers can be addressed and as long as the consumer is not impacted by the changes, public opinion is also not a barrier - the problem is economics.
Why do you think that the Future of Heat Conference is an important meeting in driving real progress in heat decarbonisation across the UK?
Linking together everyone who is working in the field to encourage collaboration and inspire each other is vitally important and can be a driver of change.
Dr Jeffrey Hardy
Senior fellow
The Grantham Institute for Climate Change
What can we expect from your contribution at the 2021 Utility Week Future of Heat Conference?
I’ll be arguing that local approach on heat decarbonisation could result in a faster & fairer transition and deliver more co-benefits
What are you most looking forward to hearing about at the Conference?
I’m interested in hearing about the public engagement element and how the heat transition can be a just transition.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing the heat sector at the moment?
A lack of a trusted supply chain to recommend and deliver zero-carbon heating
Low public awareness and knowledge on heat transition
The stop-start nature of net-zero heating and energy efficiency programmes – we need long-term strategy
That the transition could be unfair, particularly for the private rented sector who could be left behind.
Why do you think that the Future of Heat Conference is an important meeting in driving real progress in heat decarbonisation across the UK?
We need long-term decisions on heat decarbonisation now – I hope this Conference can double-down on that message.
Malcolm Arthur
Future of heat programme manager
National Grid
What can we expect from your contribution at the 2021 Utility Week Future of Heat Conference?
My panel is focused on public engagement and the challenge of behaviour changes on the distribution network. My contribution will be focused on the impact on transmission (both gas and electric), also providing insights from National Grid’s consumer heat research we published last year.
What are you most looking forward to hearing about at the Conference?
Since last years conference, there has been good progress in raising heats profile in the net zero challenge. I am looking forward to better understanding how we roll out EE for all (the retrofit challenge)
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing the heat sector at the moment?
Supply chain issues and skills shortages for the upcoming changes that will be needed
Why do you think that the Future of Heat Conference is an important meeting in driving real progress in heat decarbonisation across the UK?
As heat is one of the biggest and most complex challenges in delivering net zero, we all need to work together to deliver net zero heat that delivers what the consumer wants.