A decarbonised power system is the central requirement for
achieving Net Zero in the UK and the prize for all modern
economies. Access to reliable, resilient and plentiful
decarbonised electricity – at an affordable price to consumers –
is key to a thriving, energy secure economy, less dependent on
imported oil and gas.
A comprehensive new report by the Climate Change Committee (CCC)
demonstrates the scale of the task in achieving the Government’s
2035 goal, with 25 new recommendations to improve the prospects
of delivery.
The report contains fresh insights on the importance of
developing a climate-resilient power system – and detailed
modelling to illustrate the requirements of the 2035 power
system, using actual historical weather data, stress-tested with
an extreme scenario of a prolonged period of low wind.
Alongside Government’s Energy Security Strategy commitments to
renewables and nuclear, we need:
- New low-carbon back-up generation, with hydrogen-based power
stations and some continued use of fossil gas, made low-carbon
through use of carbon capture and storage.
- Smart shifting of consumer demand, to help to smooth peaks in
demand and absorb excess supply, especially through controlled
timing of electric vehicle charging and use of heat pumps.
- New storage solutions, beyond simply the use of batteries.
Most critical is the use of surplus generation to produce
hydrogen through electrolysis (‘green hydrogen’), providing
long-term storage so it can later be used to generate
electricity.
, Chairman of the Climate Change
Committee, said: “For 15 years, the Climate Change
Committee’s main recommendation has been to decarbonise British
electricity. The offer of cheap, decarbonised electricity for
every consumer and business is now within reach, thanks to
pioneering efforts to develop renewables.
“Now there is more at stake. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has
brought home the fundamental importance of energy security. A
reliable energy system based mainly on UK’s plentiful renewable
resources now has new significance.
“We know how to do this, but Government is asleep at the wheel.
Recent commitments for new nuclear and renewables are welcome,
but these alone are insufficient. A rapid overhaul of the
planning system and regulations is needed. It is not clear where
the responsibility lies for the design and operations of our
modern energy system rests among key organisations.
“Countries around the world are now racing for this goal. The UK
is further ahead than most, but we risk losing our early lead at
the worst possible time.”
Baroness Brown, Chair of the Adaptation
Committee, said: “The climate risks to the electricity
system are currently underplayed. Climate-related impacts will
multiply as the UK relies increasingly on electricity for heat
and transport needs. The CCC’s analysis shows that a
well-designed decarbonised power system, with a higher degree of
weather-dependent generation, can be reliable and resilient. This
is not an issue for the future, we need to build in that
resilience now, as we scale the electricity system to meet our
Net Zero targets.”
It is necessary
Since 2010, emissions from electricity generation have fallen
69%. Decarbonised electricity by 2035 will fully open the path to
the full decarbonisation of other sectors, like transport,
industry and heat, through the adoption of key technologies like
electric vehicles and heat pumps. Achievement of the UK’s
emissions targets rests on this key goal.
It is cost-effective
Renewables continue to be the cheapest form of electricity
generation and they can be harnessed cost-effectively. Managing
their variability imposes some extra costs on the wider system,
but these are manageable with the combination of low-carbon
flexibility options, given that these only make up a relatively
small proportion of generation and capacity.
It is reliable and secure
The 2035 electricity system envisaged in this report would
maintain energy security, while coping with the expected increase
in electricity demands and potentially long periods of low wind
and other climate impacts including flooding and extreme
temperatures. The consequent reduction in gas consumption would
also cut our exposure to volatile international fossil fuel
markets, with greater reliance on homegrown low-cost renewables.
These conclusions have new significance following the recent
period of heightened energy insecurity.
But it will not happen at current rates of
deployment
Delivery and deployment of infrastructure must be achieved at a
much greater pace than the present regulatory, planning and
consenting regimes can achieve. It requires that barriers to
swift deployment of critical infrastructure are removed, and
policy gaps remedied. This will open the path to major new
investment in renewable generation and infrastructure.
The network and storage infrastructure needed to support a
decarbonised system will also be very significant, with build
required for the transport and storage of electricity, hydrogen
and CO2.
It is imperative that resilience to the effects of climate change
is built into this asset investment programme from the start.
Much of the UK’s Net Zero electricity system is yet to be built
and requires significant additional investment to replace many
existing generation assets as well as significantly expand the
system.
The Climate Change Committee has outlined a comprehensive set of
new recommendations to deliver the goal.
