The first pilot program in history to heat homes with a hydrogen boiler has been implemented in the city of Lochem, Netherlands.
The initiative presented by BDR Thermea and Alliander, operators of the Dutch electricity network, will last for three years and has already been installed in 12 inhabited houses in the city. This domestic boiler is powered 100% by hydrogen and is connected to a natural gas network.
They are carbon neutral and manufactured by Remeha, a brand owned by BDR Thermea Group, and installed by Baxi, another subsidiary of BDR Thermea. It is the largest hydrogen domestic heating installation ever and is used to demonstrate that the heating technology can be installed in older homes which are restricted due to their heritage status. The project will include extensive testing during the winter months, when demand for heaters is highest. This pilot project is part of a larger effort by Baxi and BDR Thermea, who are also participating in Hy4Heat, a UK Government-funded initiative to demonstrate prototype hydrogen boilers.
Hydrogen boilers heat homes in the first pilot program in history
Domestic boilers, fueled by 100% hydrogen and connected to the natural gas grid, have been used for the first time in a pilot program to supply energy to homes.
The pure hydrogen boilers are carbon neutral and manufactured by Remeha, a brand owned by BDR Thermea Group, and implemented by Baxi, another subsidiary of BDR Thermea.
This program was launched in 12 inhabited houses in the town of Lochem, Netherlands. It is the largest hydrogen domestic heating installation ever undertaken.
Built around 1900, all houses are equipped with this state-of-the-art technology. It was a deliberate choice to show that new heating mechanisms could be installed in older homes that, as in this case, often had restrictions that limited what could be done in them because of their heritage status.
The pilot project, being carried out by Remeha in collaboration with Alliander, a Dutch power grid operator, will last three years and will include extensive testing during the winter months, when demand for heaters is at its peak.
Bertrand Schmitt, CEO of BDR Thermea Group, notes the importance of decarbonization warming, which was exacerbated this winter by the disturbances caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This is stated in a statement: “Buildings and water heating contribute significantly to energy consumption and CO2 emissions: space heating accounts for 63.6% and water heating 14.8% of residential energy consumption in the European Union. The decarbonization of buildings is therefore an urgent imperative, and hydrogen is one of the key technologies to achieve this, along with grid heat, all-electric heat pumps and hybrid solutions that combine heat pumps with boilers.«.
This pilot project is only one part of a larger effort by Baxi and BDR Thermea.
What is a hydrogen boiler
A hydrogen boiler is a type of heating system that uses hydrogen as fuel to heat water and provide heating to buildings or homes. Hydrogen is burned in the burner and generates heat, which is transferred through the heat exchanger to the water in the heating system. Hydrogen boilers are fed with pure hydrogen or with a mixture of hydrogen and another gas, such as natural gas. Hydrogen boilers are a sustainable, carbonless option for heating homes and buildings, since the only product of hydrogen combustion is water vapor. However, they are still being developed and are not as common as natural gas or electric boilers.
Through www.remeha.de
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