The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee has
today launched an inquiry
examining the potential for UK manufacturing to play a greater
role in the supply chain for low-carbon energy projects and the
Government support available.
The inquiry will look at where in the sector is the greatest
potential for UK manufacturers to make a difference and how
growing a more local supply chain could help reach the goal of a
secure, decarbonised electricity sector by 2035.
The Government’s 2021 Net Zero Strategy
sets out an aspiration for the UK to ‘get ahead of the pack’ and
‘make the birthplace of the industrial revolution the home of the
new Green Industrial Revolution’, while April’s Net Zero Growth Plan
highlighted actions to support the growth of offshore wind
component and heat pump manufacturing.
, Chair of the ESNZ
Committee, said: “The Committee’s keeping the power
on inquiry has already heard that there is huge potential for UK
manufacturers to contribute more to the clean energy supply
chain. This doesn’t happen by accident though and the Government
must make sure the right conditions are in place to allow the UK
to become a world leader in green technology. Governments often
talk about market forces but Government is the biggest force in
the market. Our inquiry will examine what needs to be done to
encourage a greater role for UK firms in the supply chain –
something which will be key to both decarbonising our energy
sector over the next decade and ensuring the UK’s energy
security.”
Terms of reference
The Committee is inviting written
submissions based on the following questions. The deadline
for submissions is Friday 5th January.
- How can UK plc capture its fair share of the economic
potential of emerging or less developed energy technologies?
- What more can the Government do to encourage greater domestic
supply chain investment in the energy industry by 2035, including
through the Contracts for Difference scheme?
- Does the UK have the supply chain capacity to deliver the
required energy infrastructure by 2035, including an expanded
electricity network?
- To what extent would growing the domestic supply chain
bolster UK energy security?
- What are the key concerns with respect to the availability of
raw materials in the supply chain and how might those be
addressed?
