Hydrogen blending is the future for gas networks

Often touted as a ‘wonder fuel’, hydrogen as a clean energy source continues to be explored despite facing significant challenges. Hydrogen blending - injecting hydrogen into existing natural gas networks - offers a realistic and scalable first step to overcoming adoption barriers. At Wood, we see hydrogen blending not as the final destination, but as a critical milestone in the journey toward a future powered by cleaner energy.

Why hydrogen blending matters

Powering the hydrogen economy:

It provides an immediate market for hydrogen producers, helping to de-risk investments and stimulate the hydrogen economy, increasing its competitiveness versus natural gas. This is particularly relevant given the European Union's ambitious targets for renewable hydrogen and the UK's goal of 10 gigawatts of low-carbon hydrogen production by 2030.

Integrating renewables:

It also offers a solution to renewable energy curtailment, allowing excess electricity from wind or solar to be converted into hydrogen and stored in the gas grid, reducing energy waste.

Phased infrastructure adaption:

Rather than leaping directly to 100% hydrogen systems, which can require significant upgrades to current infrastructure, blending allows us to test and validate the compatibility of existing assets, materials and safety systems in real-world conditions.

With about 85% of UK homes currently relying on natural gas for heating, accounting for nearly 25% of the country’s total carbon emissions, hydrogen offers a promising alternative to support the UK’s goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Blending up to 20% hydrogen into the gas grid with existing natural gas could save around six million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

Policy backing for blending

In December 2023 the UK government announced a policy decision to support blending of up to 20% hydrogen by volume into the gas distribution networks, contingent on safety and technical feasibility.

The government sees blending as a transitional tool to support the early development of the hydrogen economy, particularly in hard-to-electrify sectors  such as steel and cement production. Ongoing industry trials are gathering evidence to assess safety, economic viability and technical readiness before full-scale implementation.

However, the "market-led approach" being proposed in the UK for hydrogen tie-ins to existing networks introduces new complexities. Wood is actively involved in this, supporting network operators by providing technical expertise on hydrogen adoption and helping them optimise capital expenditure across the entire gas network. This expertise is crucial for gas network operators in the UK and globally, as they navigate these policy shifts and prepare for a future with increased hydrogen use.

Tackling the challenges

Despite its promise, hydrogen blending is not without challenges. Hydrogen’s physical properties differ significantly from natural gas, it is less energy-dense, more flammable and behaves differently under pressure. These differences raise important questions about material compatibility, safety and system performance.

One of the most pressing considerations is the suitability of existing safety infrastructure.

Wood brings deep technical expertise and a vendor independent perspective to this evolving landscape. For example, since 2023, we have been working with National Gas to design the UK’s future gas network. Wood experts have delivered hydrogen studies using Virtuoso®, an industry leading digital twin solution, analysing the characteristics of blended hydrogen and natural gas and advising on the level of investment required to repurpose the National Transmission System (NTS) infrastructure to transport hydrogen on 25% of its pipelines.

Most recently, Wood has been looking at the feasibility of safely and effectively blending hydrogen into the NTS. The studies are examining how traditional safety systems respond to hydrogen blends, helping to ensure that infrastructure is not only functional but safe.This includes designing and testing systems for safely venting and flaring hydrogen, hydrogen blends and carbon dioxide. The team will conduct offline physical tests to provide evidence that these processes can be safely managed for low carbon gases on the NTS.

Wood’s dedicated hydrogen technical safety team ensures that all designs meet the highest safety standards, tailored to the unique properties of these transition fuels.

Looking ahead

Hydrogen blending is not the endgame, but it allows us to build confidence, gather data and refine technologies as we move toward fully decarbonised energy systems.

As the energy landscape evolves, so too must our thinking. Hydrogen blending is more than a technical challenge, it’s an opportunity to rethink how we deliver energy safely, sustainably and smartly.