Future Energy Networks

Hydrogen design codes require fracture mechanics based design and qualification for high stress service. Procurement of a number of Long Lead Items (LLI) is required to construct, commission and operate hydrogen networks. A number of these LLIs, including induction bends and barred tees, remain at a low technical readiness.

This project will carry out fracture toughness testing in a hydrogen environment to increase the technical readiness, support the supply chain and achieve operational schedules.

This project constitutes a UK-wide strategic assessment of digestate production arising from projected biomethane growth, including quantification of volumes in 2030, 2040 and 2050 and analysis of nutrient composition (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). Sustainable land-spreading capacity will be evaluated under current regulatory constraints, with regional nutrient imbalances mapped. Export potential and post-processing technologies will be assessed to determine infrastructure needs and optimal management pathways. Findings will inform how digestate management can best support sustainable biomethane growth.

Digital exclusion remains a significant and persistent challenge across the UK, with approximately 10 million people unable to access online services due to a lack of internet connectivity, digital skills, or confidence. In rural and remote communities this challenge is compounded by poor infrastructure and geographic isolation. For households already identified as vulnerable the inability to receive timely communications from energy networks can have serious consequences.

Energy networks currently rely on a standard set of channels to communicate critical information such as planned outages, safety alerts, and emergency notifications. Letters go unread, door-knocking is costly and slow, SMS messages are widely distrusted, and digital channels by definition exclude the very households that need the most support. No single channel reliably reaches digitally excluded consumers at speed. This gap represents both a safeguarding risk for customers and a significant compliance and reputational challenge for networks operating under Ofgem’s consumer vulnerability obligations.

This project proposes a fundamentally new approach: the Message Beacon is a low-cost, physical, internet-free device distributed to households to alert customers that an important energy network message is available to be read. The notification signal is received via Bluetooth or NFC from a nearby mobile asset (such as a van, field engineer, or bin lorry), and is represented on the Message Beacon using a flashing LED. The customer taps the Message Beacon with an NFC-enabled smart device to display the energy network message. No internet connection is required in the home and no digital literacy is assumed. The Message Beacon brings the message to the person, rather than expecting the person to come to the channel.

This project aims to design and validate the Message Beacon concept establishing the foundational design, user research, and hardware groundwork that will enable a full real-world pilot in Phase 2.

Phase 1 will deliver four discrete, tangible outputs each meaningful in its own right, and each a direct input into the Phase 2 build:

• Front-of-House Initial Design: User journey maps covering how different household types will encounter and use the Beacon; initial design of the physical form factor, LED notification, NFC tap-to-read interaction, and message display; first-round prototype tested with participants; all design decisions documented with rationale grounded in user research.
• Back-of-House Initial Design: Research with network comms teams on message types, triggers, and operational workflow; user journey maps for network staff; initial interface designs for message creation, household management, and read-receipt reporting; analytics framework for Phase 2 evaluation.
• Technical End-to-End Flow: Full system architecture from message creation through transmission to NFC tap and display in the home; hardware and software brief with security model; assessment of NFC, BLE, and battery architecture; basis for the Phase 2 development brief.
• Prototype Plan and Experimental Builds: Hardware technical diagrams; sourced components; initial experimental Beacon devices demonstrating the core NFC, BLE, and LED interaction; manufacturing and cost assessment for Phase 2 production run of 30–50 units.

Technology Readiness Level (TRL)

• Start TRL: 2 (Technology concept formulated)The Message Beacon has been identified through prior research as the strongest candidate solution, but exists only as a concept. No integrated system design, user-tested interface, or functioning hardware has been produced.
• End TRL: 4 (Technology validated in laboratory environment)By the end of Phase 1, the core system architecture will have been designed and validated, experimental Beacon hardware will have been built and tested, and both the front-of-house and back-of-house interfaces will have been prototyped and tested with real users in controlled settings.

UK’s Net Zero Emissions Target and the Role of Hydrogen: The UK has committed to a legally binding net zero emissions target by 2050. Achieving this target necessitates the integration of hydrogen, particularly in hard-to-decarbonize industrial applications and peaking power generation. The recent publication of the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget highlights hydrogen’s significant role within the electricity supply sector. Hydrogen is identified as a crucial source of long-term storable energy that can be dispatched as needed and as a feedstock for synthetic fuels. For hydrogen to fully contribute to a future hydrogen system, its production, storage, and transportation must be considered collectively.

East Coast Hydrogen (ECH) Project: In recent years, Cadent, in partnership with National Gas and Northern Gas Networks (NGN), has developed the East Coast Hydrogen (ECH) Project. The ECH project aims to decarbonize primarily industry and power sectors. As part of this initiative, Cadent has developed the East Midlands Hydrogen Pipeline (EMHP), which aims to connect hydrogen production at Uniper’s Ratcliffe on Soar site to major industrial and power off-takers in the East Midlands. The project seeks to transport hydrogen to major population centres, including Nottingham, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Derby, and Burton upon Trent. During the development of the EMHP, it became evident that hydrogen storage plays a critical role in establishing a resilient and efficient hydrogen system. Consequently, a consortium was formed to explore the feasibility of storage, leading to the East Midlands Storage Project (EMSTOR).

Discovery Phase of EMSTOR: During the Discovery Phase, EMSTOR evaluated various technologies for large-scale hydrogen storage in the East Midlands. The technologies considered included lined rock caverns, lined rock shafts, silos, and geological storage options such as aquifers and disused hydrocarbon fields. After comparing these technologies against several technical parameters, including Technology Readiness Level (TRL), cost, size, and location relative to pipelines, it was determined that hydrogen storage in geological fields, particularly disused hydrocarbon fields, is the most viable option. Therefore, disused hydrocarbon fields in geological formations were selected for further consideration in the Alpha Phase.

Alpha Phase Consortium: To execute the Alpha Phase, a consortium led by Cadent and including Star Energy Ltd, Centrica Energy Storage, National Grid, British Geological Society, University of Edinburgh, and Uniper was established. This consortium will focus on advancing the feasibility and implementation of hydrogen storage in disused hydrocarbon fields.

Wales & West Utilities is undertaking a major programme of change to support decarbonisation and deliver a Net Zero gas network. The primary objective of this project is to investigate the effects of water ingress within a 100% hydrogen network and a blended hydrogen/natural gas network. The goal is to determine whether the introduction of hydrogen into the gas network could cause any additional impacts when water ingress occurs, and to compare these effects to those observed in the current natural gas network.

We The Curious is an educational charity and science centre with a vision for a future where everyone is included, curious, and inspired by science to build a better world. For 25 years, We The Curious have welcomed over 300,000 visitors annually and have engaged more than 65,000 school children through hands-on science experiences every year.

We The Curious is celebrating its 25^th birthday by developing a new sustainability themed area of its science centre. This project with WWU aims to inspire thousands of people of all ages to explore how different energy sources work in different contexts – sparking curiosity, building confidence, and empowering communities to take part in a fair, low-carbon transition.

The exhibit will help visitors of all ages discover the different renewable sources of energy, understand how they work, and explore why a balanced mix of energy solutions is essential to transition away from fossil fuels. Designed as a social and collaborative experience with multiple interaction points, the exhibit will highlight that shaping a sustainable energy future requires teamwork – across technologies, communities, and generations.

The UK Government recognised that domestic biomethane production can play a significant role in decarbonising energy supplies. However, biomethane production plants face technical and operational challenges. Currently the content of biomethane within biogas produced from the anaerobic digestion (AD) process is often only around 50%. This partial conversion results in lower yields for AD operators and an increase in costly gas scrubbing requirements. The increased presence of impurity gases also increases requirement for propanation to increase the calorific value, high in both cost and carbon footprint.

This project seeks to address these challenges through the injection of green hydrogen into the AD process in specific quantities and at specific times to achieve greater conversion of carbon dioxide to biomethane within the acetogenesis stage of the AD process, thereby increasing the yield whilst reducing the need for gas scrubbing and propanation.

This project will help to inform UK Gas Distribution Network Operators (GDNOs) and wider industry on the long-term suitability of existing Excess Flow Valve (EFV) designs in a future where hydrogen is being distributed in network pipelines. A risk to normal EFV functionality exists in the event that an ignition occurs within the downstream gas installation pipework and this project will help to understand the effectiveness of existing EFV designs to manage this risk, identifying any necessary modifications to existing EFV designs where appropriate.

The Fairer Warmth Hub (FWH) connects stakeholders of the Net Zero Transition through place-based strategies, providing tools and guidance to facilitate local energy plans and enhance collaboration. The FWH integrates digital tools and community engagement to facilitate effective communication and planning among diverse stakeholders, including households, small businesses, schools, social healthcare and local authorities. FWH is designed to bridge the gap in the energy transition by providing tailored support to these stakeholders, ensuring that the transition is inclusive and just. The FWH integrates three core elements:

• Trained ‘Champions’ – Volunteers or staff, known as Champions, are recruited and trained to support community engagement, helping to build trust and reduce miscommunication in local energy initiatives.
• Digital Tools (Virtual Assets) – Innovative digital tools (App + Website) and resources are used to facilitate energy transition planning and community engagement, particularly assisting Customer In Vulnerable Situation (CIVS) and those who are digitally excluded.
• Community Centres (Non-Virtual Assets) – Physical community hubs serve as accessible locations for hands-on support, providing a space for CIVS and other stakeholders to engage directly in the energy transition.