Energy generation in the UK is poised to undergo a rapid transformation as it moves to a low carbon future, and the energy industry is prepared to undertake much of the “heavy lifting” to make it happen. That is the conclusion of a major new report released today by trade body Energy UK, which is based on a series of in-depth interviews with companies across the UK energy sector during August and September 2015, including representatives of all the ‘Big Six’ energy suppliers. The report suggests that energy storage is widely regarded by the industry as the “single most important technological breakthrough” likely to happen over the next 15 years, although industry predictions about when the technology will be commercially viable varied from between three and 10 years. In the eyes of the sector’s senior executives, emerging technologies mean that there is likely to be less need for large, centralised energy generation plants than previously thought. Many commented that DECC’s September 2014 forecasts for energy generation in 2030 – which predicted that 50GW of renewables, 16GW of new nuclear, and significant levels of thermal plant with carbon capture and storage (CCS) would be needed – were too high. Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said the report signalled “tremendous change” ahead for the electricity system. “Falling demand, increasingly competitive renewables, storage, interconnectors, demand response – this is the blueprint for the electricity system just 15 years hence, and it’s telling that it comes from an industry body rather than a ‘green’ think-tank,” he said in a statement.
Business Green 23rd Feb 2016 read more »
Energy UK has called on the government to “urgently review” the Levy Control Framework (LCF), providing clarity to companies and investors. In a report published today (23 February), the trade body insisted there is an “urgent need to attract much-needed investment” into the power generation sector given the recent and forthcoming power station closures. It said the government should review the LCF “as a matter of urgency”, and set out a budget post-2020 “as soon as possible” to encourage investment across a range of technologies, as there is currently a lack of transparency and “no forward view” on which to base investment.
Utility Week 23rd Feb 2016 read more »
Using natural gas as a bridging fuel to a cleaner energy mix in the UK will only act as a “stop-gap”, with its viability as an energy source severely limited beyond 2020 unless carbon capture and storage (CSS) technology is rolled out, the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) has warned.
Edie 23rd Feb 2016 read more »