Question reference: S6W-19581
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 30 June 2023
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Current status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 28 July 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considered exempting hydrogen-ready boilers from its proposed ban on gas boilers in new build properties.
Answer
The New Build Heat Standard ( Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023 ) prohibits the installation of direct emissions heating systems that produce more than a negligible amount of direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is to ensure that new buildings no longer contribute emissions to climate change, and do not require future retrofit to support net zero.
Hydrocarbon gas produces more than a negligible amount of direct emissions, as demonstrated in research completed by ClimateXChange: Direct greenhouse gas emissions from low and zero carbon heating systems (climatexchange.org.uk) .
Any hydrogen-ready technology is likely to operate on hydrocarbon gas for the foreseeable future. This means that these systems would not be permitted under the Standard, as they continue to emit significant direct emissions.