On a cold December night, snow drifting outside narrow windows, twelve homes in Lochem, Netherlands—houses built around 1900 with thick brick walls and creaking floors—hold a warm secret. Inside, new boilers hum, not on natural gas, but burning pure hydrogen.
For the residents, evenings feel familiar: the scent of warm bread, tea steeping, the low rumble of radiators. But behind that comfort is a bold experiment: can hydrogen heating bring net-zero warmth, without tearing apart old architecture or breaking household budgets?
This is more than a trial. It is a bridge between past and future.
What Is The Lochem Pilot
The project is run jointly by grid operator Alliander and heating‐manufacturer BDR Thermea (its Remeha and Baxi brands). In Lochem’s Berkeloord district, twelve listed (protected) historic homes have been retrofitted with 100% hydrogen boilers. These homes still rely on the existing natural gas distribution network, now repurposed to carry hydrogen.
It’s a three-year pilot, intended to span several winters so that the performance can be tested under the greatest heating demand. Homes are occupied, real people live there, and the goal is to see whether hydrogen can be a viable heating alternative in older housing stock.
Why This Experiment Matters
Older, heritage homes are often poorly insulated (draughty windows, thick walls, strict rules about what modifications can be made), which makes heat pumps or electric heating harder to apply without extensive renovation. Hydrogen boilers offer an alternative: minimal visible changes, retaining the familiar look and feel of a gas boiler, but burning a cleaner fuel.
Hydrogen contributes no CO₂ at the point of burning, so in the home itself the emissions drop significantly. In national strategy, hydrogen is part of the Netherlands’ roadmap to reach zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Deep Dive: Winter Performance And The 4th Point
This is the heart of the experiment. It isn’t enough for hydrogen boilers to work in mild weather; the true test comes when temperatures drop, demand for heat goes up, and insulation weaknesses are exposed.
- Real Winters, Real Demand: The three-year duration ensures that trial homes will see multiple winters, with variations in cold snaps, snow, frost. Data will show whether hydrogen boilers can provide consistent warmth under peak load.
- Comfort And Reliability: Homeowners in the trial have said they are unlikely to notice much difference, since the hydrogen boilers look and act much like their gas-powered predecessors.
- Cost Considerations: In this pilot, participants pay the same rate as natural gas users. This allows the trial to focus purely on performance, not price shocks.
- Upstream Emissions & Hydrogen Type: The hydrogen used is “grey” hydrogen—that is, produced from fossil fuels—with upstream CO₂ emissions. So while burning at home is clean, the full lifecycle isn’t yet net zero. The trial is collecting data on efficiency and compatibility with potential future green hydrogen sources.
The ability to deliver reliable heating through harsh winters is the most critical outcome of this trial. If the homes stay warm and safe without disruption, hydrogen could become a viable path for decarbonising similar heritage neighborhoods across Europe.
Challenges And Caveats
No experiment this ambitious is without hurdles.
- Grey Vs Green Hydrogen: Right now, using green hydrogen (made using renewable power) is expensive and rare. Grey hydrogen, though cheaper and more immediately available, doesn’t solve upstream emissions.
- Infrastructure Adaptation: While the existing natural gas network is used, modifications are needed—odorization, pressure regulation, safety standards, and technician training.
- Heritage Constraints: These old houses are protected. Windows, façades, and wall insulation cannot easily be altered. The solution must work within these constraints.
- Scalability And Cost: Expanding from 12 homes to thousands brings cost and logistics challenges. Producing enough green hydrogen, distributing it, and keeping costs manageable will require heavy investment.
Other Related Efforts And Innovation
Beyond Lochem, the Netherlands is working on several initiatives.
- Hydrogen Experience Centre In Apeldoorn: Alliander and Kiwa have opened a demo house that shows how to convert a home for hydrogen use and trains installers.
- Policy And Regulation Progress: The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets has approved this pilot, clarifying safety and consumer protection rules.
- Technology Development: Work continues on more efficient electrolysers to make green hydrogen cheaper and more widely available.
People Voices: Hope And Realism
Bertrand Schmitt, CEO of BDR Thermea, highlights that heating spaces and water accounts for a significant share of household energy use and emissions across Europe. He stresses that hydrogen should be viewed as part of a broader solution set—working alongside heat pumps, hybrid systems, and district heating—to achieve the urgent goal of decarbonising buildings.
Echoing this perspective, Daan Schut, Chief Transition Officer at Alliander, noted that hydrogen is a promising replacement for natural gas. He explained that with only minor adjustments, the existing natural gas infrastructure can be adapted to safely distribute hydrogen into residential homes.
What Success Will Look Like
If the pilot delivers reliable warmth through multiple winters, keeps costs steady, and operates safely, hydrogen could be confirmed as a practical solution for hard-to-electrify homes. Success will mean:
- Stable indoor temperatures even on the coldest nights
- Safe, odorised hydrogen supply with zero safety incidents
- Affordable costs for households compared to natural gas
- A transition path toward green hydrogen, eliminating upstream emissions
Broader Implications And Optimism
Across Europe, many homes are centuries old and protected as part of national heritage. Retrofitting them for heat pumps is costly and invasive. If the Lochem project works, it shows that hydrogen can respect history while meeting modern climate goals.
Hydrogen is also versatile: it can store energy from renewables for winter use, serve as a backup option, and complement other low-carbon heating solutions. This technology gives nations a valuable tool for a just, inclusive transition.
Conclusion: Warmth, Hope, And The Path Ahead
Walking down a Lochem street at dusk, snowflakes dusting the rooftops, glowing windows signal that the experiment is working. In those homes, warmth is not just physical—it is symbolic. It is the warmth of a future where history and innovation can co-exist.
If the next winters bring consistent comfort, fair costs, and falling emissions, hydrogen heating could become more than a pilot—it could be a blueprint for how to heat Europe’s oldest homes while protecting the planet for generations to come.
