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UTILITY WEEK | DECEMBER 2021 | 41 onstration facility to allow customers to see and experience hydrogen appliances in a home-like setting before opting in. "Hydrogen awareness and education is a critical component of our engagement plans both for the customers who decide to opt-in and more generally in the local community and for our local stakeholders," she says. "Rolling out education and awareness about hydrogen and our project is something that we hope will help to build con• dence in hydrogen for those that are not familiar with it's potential for decarbonisation and allow people to feel empowered about their choices on how to heat their homes." There goes the neighbourhood Ultimately, Archer views the H100 project as an opportunity to validate the exten- sive hydrogen evidence base that has been developed collaboratively across industry in what she claims is a "• rst-of-a-kind" demonstration. "We have developed H100 Fife Phase one in order to produce key learnings and out- comes that could help to inform heat policy decisions, which in turn will determine how the UK intends to decarbonise heat in a move to net zero," she says. However, a degree of reluctance remains, with Utility Week recently reporting that an energy minister described himself as a "hydrogen sceptic" and said the costs of producing the gas mean it is "pretty much impossible" to see it being used in mass home heating. As such, Archer says that while H100 Fife Phase one is on track as the Hydrogen Neigh- bourhood, challenges remain with regards to a broader rollout. "Timescales to deliver in order to be able to inform heat policy decisions remain ambi- tious but necessary in order to help the UK reach net-zero targets," she says. "Regulatory frameworks need to be navi- gable in line with the hydrogen trials pro- gramme requirements and timeline. This is currently being consulted on across industry and government." Stuart Stone, UW Innovate editor HyDeploy Backed by Ofgem's Network Innovation Competition, the HyDeploy project is led by Cadent in partnership with Northern Gas Networks, Keele University, the Health and Safety Executive Science Division, integrated hydrogen energy systems manufac- turer ITM-Power, and independent clean energy com- pany Progressive Energy. Utility Week Live 2022 See this content brought to life at Utility Week Live, 17-18 May 2022, NEC Birmingham Decarbonising heat is one of the frontline challenges at the heart of Utility Week Live 2022's live content programme. View the challenges and be alerted for tickets to the industry's most eagerly awaited reunion at utilityweeklive.co.uk. Q&A Meet the Innovators: Yasmin Ali, BEIS UW Innovate caught up with Yasmin Ali – energy innovation project manager atBEIS – to refl ect on her 11 years in the utilities sector. What is the most signi• cant way that today's utilities sector diˆ ers from the one you • rst joined? There was very little discussion about the impact of fossil fuels and coal-• red power stations on the environment, and greenhouse gas emissions, when I • rst started back in 2010. There is a huge change to the narrative against the backdrop of net-zero emissions commit- ments across many countries. It is fantastic to see a bigger focus on the energy transition and sustainability in the industry. What is your golden rule for overcoming challenges at work generally? When faced with challenging problems, my golden rule is to pause, take a step back, and break the problem down into smaller tasks. I • nd this stops me from feeling overwhelmed and helps me to make incremental progress. It also allows me to delegate work to others in my team, and seek expert input where needed. What's the best piece of advice you've been given? "Work with and for good people." I always keep this in the back of my mind, and try to be one of those "good people". Which piece of technology, or app, could you not function without? I am out and about quite a lot, on site visits in various locations around the UK, and would get absolutely nowhere without the Maps app as I have a very poor sense of direction! Is there a standout innovation or collaboration project that you've worked on during your time in utilities – what made it special? I have come across lots of fascinating innovation projects through my job with BEIS, but the • rst innovation project I worked on remains special for me. During my time with Eon's oil and gas exploration and production department, I led a study to investigate potential applications of additive manufacturing in oil and gas. I was per- sonally interested in the technology. I got to learn a lot more about it through the project, and it introduced me to the world of energy innovation. Which issues or opportunities within the industry don't you feel get enough airtime? I think there is an issue around public engagement with the sector. Most people do not understand the amount of eˆ ort and the number of engineers, technicians, and other professionals who work in the background to make sure everyone has a secure supply of electricity, gas, water. There is an opportunity to engage the public with this, and bring them on board with proposed decarbonisation solutions. See the full Q&A with Yasmin Ali at: https://utilityweek.co.uk/ meet-the-innovators-yasmin-ali-beis/ UW Innovate caught up with Yasmin Ali – energy innovation project manager atBEIS – to refl ect on her 11 years in the utilities sector. A "milestone achievement", according to SGN director of energy futures Angus McIntosh

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