Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to bring forward amendments to the gas management safety regulations to facilitate blending of hydrogen in the gas network by up to 20 per cent.

The Government is committed to reaching Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 and decarbonising our energy system. Hydrogen blending is a potential mechanism in the pathway towards achieving these ambitions.

The economic assessment and safety evidence for hydrogen blending is not yet complete. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Ofgem and the industry to ensure that the necessary economic analysis and safety evidence to support any change to the current permitted hydrogen content is obtained. HSE will shortly be consulting on proposals to amend the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations (GSMR), however as the demonstration of hydrogen blending is ongoing, blending will not form part of this suite of proposals.

Exemptions to the permitted hydrogen limit in GSMR can be sought until legislation is changed and HSE has already issued exemptions to enable hydrogen blending demonstrations up to 20 per cent to take place at Keele University and Winlaton in England.

Subject to both the economic and safety case for blending being demonstrated, the Government is aiming to make a final decision on blending by the end of 2023.