In a small town in Bavaria, Germany, a unique experiment is set to take place in the summer of 2023. The existing natural gas network in Markt Hohenwart will be partially converted to green hydrogen, with the aim of investigating the feasibility of using hydrogen for heating. The pilot project, called H2Direkt, is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and will be carried out by energy providers Thüga and Energie Südbayern. Ten households and one business will participate in the experiment for at least one heating season, using hydrogen as their sole energy source. The ultimate goal is to achieve a carbon-neutral heating system that relies solely on green hydrogen produced through electrolysis using renewable energy sources.
To conduct the experiment, a segment of the existing natural gas network will be separated and supplied with hydrogen. The hydrogen will be stored in a tank and regularly refilled by a truck. The participating households and business will receive free hydrogen and a special hydrogen condensing boiler from manufacturer Vaillant. The switch to hydrogen will not require any changes for the residents, except for the installation of gas sensors for safety reasons. To ensure that residents can detect any leaks, the hydrogen will be mixed with odorants, similar to natural gas.
While experiments have been conducted in Germany before, where hydrogen was added to natural gas, this is the first time a complete switch to hydrogen will be tested with private households. The project is of great significance for future projects and could be a game-changer for heating systems in the future. The potential for hydrogen as a clean energy source is enormous, and this experiment will provide valuable insights into its practical application for heating.
