Based in Fife College’s Levenmouth Campus, the new training facility will create a new net zero workforce in Fife by upskilling over 200 existing Gas Safe registered engineers to work with hydrogen gas. SGN has been developing the training courses in partnership with Fife College since June 2022, alongside key stakeholders such as Energy & Utility Skills Partnership and the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM).

Engineers who receive the training will work on SGN’s world-first green hydrogen trial – H100 Fife. H100 Fife will be supplying green hydrogen to several hundred homes in Levenmouth in Fife through a new hydrogen gas network, which is currently being built alongside the existing natural gas network.

H100 Fife project manager Richard Beedell said: “Our industry needs a diverse and skilled workforce to continue to keep communities safe and warm while we transition towards net zero.

“We’re delighted to be working with Fife College on building this first-of-a-kind training centre, which brings us one step closer to bringing green hydrogen gas to domestic customers for the first time.”

Training will be delivered to local Gas Safe registered engineers in Fife by expert trainers with experience in delivering natural gas training with support from industry professionals. The course will enable engineers to safely install, test and commission the hydrogen supply system in people’s homes including the newly developed hydrogen appliances (boilers, hobs and meters).

Pioneering hydrogen gas appliances, which work similarly to their natural gas equivalents, will be used in the training facility. These will be provided by leading manufacturers including MeteRSit, Pietro Fiorentini, Baxi, Clean Burner Systems (CBS), BSH and Worcester Bosch.

Jim Metcalfe, Fife College principal, said: “Fife College is honoured and excited to be establishing the UK’s first-ever hydrogen training facility, in partnership with SGN. By upskilling more than 200 gas engineers at our cutting-edge Levenmouth Campus, we are at the forefront of training the vital future workforce the country so desperately needs to make the transition to clean energy. Together with SGN we are proud to be shaping a cleaner, greener future for our local communities.”

SGN CEO Mark Wild OBE, who also chairs the Energy & Utility Skills Partnership said: “It’s so important to prepare gas engineers today, for the skills they’ll need tomorrow. They are the guardians of our gas network, on the frontline making sure communities are safe, warm and have access to the critical services they need. They’ll also play a key role in the years to come ensuring our industry is at the heart of the UK’s ambitions to achieve net zero.”