Neal Lambert is a Technical Director in the Infrastructure business at Wolseley and has worked in the infrastructure gas industry for 35 years. He believes hydrogen will have a huge role to play in heating homes as well as use in transport and heavy industry in the future. The Installer caught up with Neal to ask him how he sees the hydrogen economy developing, how it can help customers, and the impact Wolseley is having.

How has the hydrogen economy evolved?
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement around 200 countries agreed they would reduce the rise in global temperature to well below 2 degrees, and hydrogen is touted as the future fuel of the EU, promising to deliver an abundance of carbon-neutral energy by 2030. It will power long haul freight vehicles, aeroplanes, steel production, and domestic heating.

What’s the greatest benefit customers can get from investing in hydrogen?
Britain’s gas network will be ready to start blending hydrogen around the country from next year, helping to provide families with a more secure homegrown energy supply. Wolseley UK is at the forefront of this technology to help customers transition to hydrogen with the supply of products approved for a blended gas and 100% hydrogen.

What are the opportunities in the current hydrogen economy?
Hydrogen holds the potential to provide energy services to all sectors of the economy: transportation, buildings, and industry. Meanwhile, Wolseley is also active in many different energy sectors including electricity, district heating, and heat and air source pumps. All these different energy sectors will have a part to play in the UK energy solution.

How has Wolseley invested?
Continental Products Ltd, part of Wolseley UK, was successful in winning a Government funded tender from the Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy to develop metering products for 100% Hydrogen. Our business is now approved to supply hydrogen approved 1st and 2nd Stage Meter kits, which is fantastic news. Wolseley is therefore in a unique position to supply hydrogen ready products through all of our supply partners throughout the gas industry.

What should we tell customers if they ask about hydrogen?
Wolseley is ready! Firstly, for the 20% blend of Hydrogen in Natural Gas which will be introduced in 2023, and then for working with all our supply partners with the next step to net zero and 2050.

Neal Lambert
Infrastructure Technical Director at Wolseley