The new facility will help meter manufacturers determine if existing meter stock, and new technologies under development, are correctly measuring hydrogen flow rates. This is a crucial step to ensure that hydrogen gas meters deployed onto the market in the future will deliver accurate measurements for customer billing and taxation purposes.

"Accurate measurement is an essential element to enable the decarbonization of heat via the replacement of natural gas with hydrogen in the grid," said Marc MacDonald, Head of Clean Fuels at TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory. "From our involvement in EU hydrogen metrology projects, and our extensive experience as the UK institute responsible for National Flow Measurement Standards, it is clear that the change from natural gas to hydrogen can result in increased meter measurement errors. Our new hydrogen calibration facility will give manufacturers the independent assurance they need to prove that metering systems are suitable for their intended service."

Funded by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), through the National Measurement System mechanism, the new facility will initially support ongoing hydrogen feasibility and metrology research, including the European Metrology Program for Innovation and Research (EMPIR), the UK Flow Program and several demonstration projects seeking to transition the UK gas grid to hydrogen. The research will be shared publicly so that industry can make more informed choices about meter selection.