4 June 2025
The race to net zero is a marathon not a sprint, and every strategic step counts. One tactic that could accelerate progress is introducing lower carbon gas blends into the UK network.
Here, we’ll explore why blending gas could help the country achieve a more sustainable energy future.
Understanding gas blends
Blending gas involves combining various substances to engineer mixes with specific properties. For example, gas blends that include both natural gas and greener alternatives have a lower carbon impact than natural gas alone.
Hydrogen and biomethane are two fuels that can be blended with natural gas and used for applications such as heating, power generation, industrial processes and transportation.
As such, they have the potential to decarbonise our energy systems without disrupting customers or needing to change network infrastructure. This could ensure a smoother, more affordable transition away from natural gas as the UK moves towards net zero.
Why are gas blends being introduced?
Natural gas is used in around 22 million UK homes for heating and hot water, and the UK’s industrial sector consumes a fifth of our gas demand. While renewables represent an ever-growing proportion of the UK’s electricity mix, natural gas currently generates around a third of the country’s total electric power.
To meet this demand, an extensive gas network has been established. The National Transmission System consists of nearly 5,000 miles of high-pressure steel pipes and more than 500 above-ground installations, and that’s before it feeds into distribution networks.
However, the use of natural gas (alongside coal and oil) is a contributing factor towards climate change. A fossil fuel, burning natural gas also produces carbon dioxide. The UK Government’s 2050 net zero targets means the country has to proactively move to greener energy alternatives.
Electrification is accelerating, with one recent analysis suggesting that electricity consumption could more than double by 2050. However, renewable electricity alone can't achieve net zero. Its intermittency, the high cost of storage, significant transport energy losses (8% for electricity vs. 0.1% for gas) and the far greater capital expense of upgrading the electricity grid (potentially 6x that of gas infrastructure) mean a broader energy strategy, including gas blends, is vital.
Why blending gas is a smart strategy
The introduction of blended gases could contribute to significant carbon reductions. For instance, hydrogen blending is looking like a solid medium-term solution for helping clean up the gas grid. It's especially good for helping new hydrogen production sites get off the ground by creating a steady baseline demand. This reduces the risk for those investing in hydrogen supply; producers can get their hydrogen into the system even if they don't have dedicated buyers or storage ready yet.
However, to truly boost investment, hydrogen blending needs to be officially counted as a legitimate ‘off-take’ in future hydrogen business plans. Without that, its power to guarantee investment won't be fully realised.
Nevertheless, blending should be viewed as a real opportunity, especially at a distribution level. Discussions around the technical readiness of the National Transmission System and Local Distribution Zones are underway, with hydrogen blending limits of up to 20% currently being reviewed. Network trials that also use 100% hydrogen - like SGN’s H100 Fife project - are playing a pivotal role in our understanding of what the impact on households and the gas system will be should a full hydrogen rollout happen.
Indeed, the UK Government’s Hydrogen Strategy Update indicates when forthcoming decisions to enable hydrogen blending at the transmission level can be expected. These would help support domestic demand and avoid import costs. Yet, the role of hydrogen in domestic heating remains uncertain. The Health and Safety Executive's review findings are due late 2025. These will critically influence future policy development and its timeline.
Here’s why gas blending could be a smart move for the UK’s energy future strategy.
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Uses existing infrastructure
Rather than undertaking a complete overhaul, a gas blend can be distributed via existing infrastructure, making it a more cost-effective and less disruptive option. New pipeline networks and storage facilities don’t need to be built or paid for, while significant construction works and environmental impacts are also avoided.
Furthermore, blended gases can be introduced into the existing network fairly quickly. By cutting out the extensive lead times for planning, permitting and constructing new national infrastructure, gas blends allow carbon reductions to be achieved rapidly. -
Avoids abrupt changes
Blending gas enables a controlled and gradual transition. It mitigates the potential safety concerns and practical challenges associated with a rapid shift to options such as pure hydrogen. This allows lower-carbon fuels to be more safely integrated into the UK’s energy system using hydrogen blending scenarios.
This gradual approach also allows for thorough testing and the steady adaptation of equipment over time. It provides a crucial learning period for all key stakeholders, from network operators to end users, instilling confidence while minimising any potential risks. -
Secures supply levels
It’ll still take some time for low-carbon alternatives like biomethane and hydrogen to meet demand capacity. Gas blends offer a practical solution to this problem by cutting carbon impact without leaving the country entirely reliant on the availability of 100% renewable gases.
By diversifying the gas mix, the UK also becomes less vulnerable to fluctuations or disruptions in the supply of any single fuel source. A diversified approach strengthens the country’s energy security, reducing reliance on volatile global markets. -
Suits hard-to-transition sectors
The high temperatures and chemical use in certain energy-intensive industrial processes (such as the production of cement, steel and high-grade chemicals) present significant challenges for direct electrification.
Blended gas that incorporates increasing proportions of hydrogen offers a tangible and adaptable solution that can be reached in the near to medium term. Allowing the UK’s industrial sector to cut carbon emissions without jeopardising the operational viability or economic value of these businesses.
Answering crucial questions
While blending gas offers a promising route to decarbonisation, several key challenges have to be addressed. These include:
- The compatibility of existing infrastructure with greater concentrations of hydrogen
- How the costs of green hydrogen production can be reduced to accelerate deployment, even though blue hydrogen offers a cost-effective first step
- How can biomethane production be increased to meet demand, given feedstock availability and network capacity constraints
- The best way to educate and reassure the public about the benefits of gas blending
How is Xoserve supporting?
Xoserve has actively supported various initiatives to demonstrate the potential of both blending gas and 100% hydrogen.
For the HyDeploy project, we facilitated essential data transfers for transparent billing and metering of blended hydrogen. This helps to maintain fair energy prices for all trial participants. We also made sure the data infrastructure is robust and scalable, and undertook industry-wide process adjustments due to hydrogen’s impact on energy calculations.
Currently, for H100 Fife, we are playing a key role in supporting this trial by adapting core industry systems. This includes developing new reports to support gas shippers and the gas network (XRN5298), adjusting Gemini System’s calorific value tolerance range to reflect new gas properties (XRN5635), integrating hydrogen metering functionality (XRN5846) and supporting SGN’s UNC modification to enable 100% hydrogen supply (MOD0799).
In parallel, we are refining our long-term strategy and providing insights to the industry and working groups focused on hydrogen blending. Our project for managing different gases also assesses the impact of hydrogen, hydrogen blending and biomethane blending on CDSP processes, evaluating 4 key scenarios:
- Biomethane without propane enrichment
- Up to 5% hydrogen blend
- Up to 20% hydrogen blend
- 100% hydrogen
Collaboration remains central to our approach. We continue to work closely with distribution networks and contribute to key industry forums, including the Real Time Settlement Methodology (RTSM) project, where we share insights on the current CDSP system and its evolving role in supporting future gas blends.
The journey to net zero in the UK is complex. However, if integrated into a smart energy strategy, blended gas’ ability to use existing network infrastructure and integrate sustainable sources makes progress possible.
Get in touch
If you have any feedback or questions on any of the above, please email us at communications@xoserve.com.
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