Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has hailed the opening of Scotland’s first hydrogen homes as a ‘shining example’ of how the country is leading the way in solutions to tackle climate change. The homes in Levenmouth are part of gas network company SGN’s H100 Fife project and showcase the potential for hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions in households and businesses across Scotland and the UK.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the project, First Minister John Swinney said: “Scotland’s net zero future depends on our ability to create innovative solutions to tackle climate change; and the H100 Fife project is a shining example of this ambition. These demonstration homes offer residents a glimpse of the role that hydrogen can play in delivering warm and comfortable homes with zero carbon emissions. I welcome this significant milestone in the project’s journey and look forward to its completion.”
During the event, the street on which the newly constructed homes are built was officially named ‘Newhaven Street’ by students from local school Denbeath Primary, highlighting historic links to nearby Methil docks. This involvement of local pupils with H100Fife builds on the workshop activities carried out by the Hydrogen Office in Methil.
The Hydrogen Office in Methil was opened in early 2011 and has since engaged with over 40,000 school pupils including over 2,250 on behalf of H100Fife in workshops and education sessions. Karen Ritchie, CEO of Bright Green Business (in top picture, on left) who deliver the Hydrogen Office outreach remarked “We are now seeing first-hand the importance of starting STEM education including hydrogen workshops at a young age. We previously involved our local nursery with choosing the name ‘Poppy’ for the wind turbine at the Hydrogen Office. The naming of ‘Newhaven Street’ for the H100Fife visitor facility continues this tradition.”
Located in Levenmouth on Fife’s east coast, the demonstration homes showcase how hydrogen can provide heating and cooking experiences very similar to natural gas. Familiar appliances like gas boilers and hobs are installed in the homes delivering the instant and responsive heat customers are used to, but with zero carbon emissions.
H100 Fife is a world-first green hydrogen project which will see up to 300 households switch to hydrogen for cooking and heating. Residents involved in the trial can now visit the demonstration homes to get hands-on experience ahead of appliances being installed in their own homes later this year. The First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, opened the homes alongside SGN’s CEO Simon Kilonback and visited a kitchen with the 100% hydrogen fuelled cooking hob.
Residents who have signed up for the H100Fife project and those who live locally can visit the homes to see hydrogen boilers and hobs from leading manufacturers Baxi, Worcester Bosch, and Bosch Home Appliances. These are the appliances that will be installed in their own homes later this year.
SGN’s CEO Simon Kilonback said: “SGN is incredibly proud to mark this important milestone for green energy in Scotland with the First Minister. We are working in partnership with the local community and look forward to welcoming them to our demonstration homes. We believe H100 Fife can act as a catalyst for regional decarbonisation, positioning Scotland at the forefront of the transition to net zero. However, this project is also far more than just a hydrogen for home heating trial and will provide key evidence to support the development of the hydrogen economy, whether that be production, storage, distribution or operations.”
SGN is partnering with Fife College to open the UK’s first hydrogen training facility in the coming months, located just a mile away from the H100 Fife network in the college’s Levenmouth campus. Existing Gas Safe engineers in the region will be upskilled at the facility on how to fit new hydrogen appliances and connect homes taking part in H100 Fife to the new 8.4km hydrogen network which was completed last year.
Learn more here: https://sgn.co.uk/news/first-minister-opens-scotlands-first-hydrogen-homes
