YORKSHIRE farmers are being invited to take a central role in assessing the use of hydrogen fuel in agriculture.

The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) and Cenex are assessing the future potential for hydrogen (H2) to replace fossil fuels on farms, in a project that is focusing on the farming sector in Yorkshire.

This will inform a wider project in which East Coast Hydrogen, a collaboration between Northern Gas Networks, Cadent and National Gas, is exploring access to hydrogen.

The focus of the Yorkshire hydrogen study will include on-farm H2 production and storage, plus distribution, for use in local heating applications and for fuelling of H2 powertrains in rural use.

Laura Palczynski from Innovation for Agriculture, who is managing the RASE involvement in the project, said that the project will ensure the farming sector is not left out of wider explorations of the potential for using H2 to replace fossil fuels.

“It’s essential that farming voices are heard from the early stages of exploring the potential for the transition from fossil fuels to those that will help us reach net zero,” she said.

Farmers in Yorkshire can get involved by taking part in an online workshop, which will seek farmers’ views on how the agricultural sector can move beyond red diesel.

“The online workshops will delve into the potential for use of alternative fuels on farms and will explore what is required to make H2 and other gas fuels more available and affordable in areas without a grid connection,” says Laura.

The online workshops are open to anyone farming in Yorkshire, with no prior knowledge of H2 fuels required. They are sector specific and taking place at the following times:

n Arable and potatoes, Tuesday, May 28, 4-5.30pm;

n Protected horticulture, Thursday, June 6, 4-5.30pm;

n Pigs and Poultry, Wednesday, June 12, 4-5.30pm;

n Dairy, Thursday, June 13, 12.30-2pm.

To register for an online workshop, visit www.rase.org.uk/events.