This is what will be done to make Lancashire carbon neutral by 2050. Lancashire’s renewable energy potential means that it will be able to generate more than half of its electricity needs by the time it has to meet a nationwide target to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. The county will also create significant amounts of so-called “green hydrogen” by the middle of the next decade, as the wider North West region moves away from a reliance on natural gas. The details emerged at a meeting of Lancashire County Council’s external scrutiny committee where members heard that the creation of new onshore and near-shore wind farms could see the county become a generator of renewable energy for other parts of the UK. Overall, however, Lancashire will be a net importer of both electricity – which will provide the bulk of the county’s power in 30 years’ time – and hydrogen. Last year, it emerged that proposals were also being developed to harness electricity generated from the nuclear power stations at Heysham to create low-carbon hydrogen via the use of electrolysers. The two Heysham reactors are set to be decommissioned in 2024 and 2030 and, although the committee heard that their lifetimes are likely to be extended, entirely new reactors would have to be created if nuclear is to play a role by 2050.
Pendle Today 24th Nov 2020 read more »