The government said up to eight reactors could be delivered by 2030 – accelerating the pace from a decade to one a year – as the UK wants to move away from oil and gas and protect itself from price volatility. Its ambition is to have up to 24 GW of “safe, clean and reliable energy” by 2050, about 25% of expected demand, with a fleet of smaller reactors being a key part of the pipeline. Image: Nuclear power could cover a quarter of total electricity demand by 2050 under plan Offshore wind, solar and hydrogen are also part of the plan, which targets 95% of low-carbon electricity by 2030. However, oil and gas are still underway, with a new round of licensing for North Sea projects starting this summer – recognizing the importance of these fuels for energy security and that UK gas production is lower. carbon footprint than abroad, the government said. Boris Johnson said the “bold plans” would see Britain “escalate and accelerate the affordable, clean and safe energy being produced in Britain, for Britain – from new nuclear to offshore wind – in the next decade”. “This will reduce our dependence on energy sources that are exposed to volatile international prices that we can not control, so that we can enjoy greater energy self-sufficiency with cheaper bills,” he said. However, the Labor Party claimed that the strategy – the launch of which has been delayed amid the alleged repulsion by the Ministry of Finance – was in a state of “disarray” as it had no action on land and no new aid to boost energy efficiency. . The focus will be on the development of Hinkley Point C in Somerset, which is under construction, and talks on the development of Sizewell C in Suffolk – between them will generate 6.5 GW of power. A new body, the Great British Nuclear, is being set up to promote the development of new sites, with the support of “substantial funding”, and a με 120 million “future nuclear activation fund” is set to launch this month. The government has said it will work to launch a number of projects as soon as possible, including Wylfa in Anglesey. Image: Energy from offshore wind farm is expected to increase dramatically In offshore wind, the strategy targets up to 50 GW of capacity by 2030, which it says is more than enough to power every home in the UK and will include 5 GW of offshore winds in deeper seas – backed by reform planning to accelerate them. development. For onshore wind farms – which he recently described as the “eyes” of a cabinet member – there will be consultation on “partnerships with a limited number of support communities” to build wind turbines in exchange for guaranteed lower energy bills. The government will also consider reforming the rules for installing solar panels in homes and commercial buildings, with the goal of seeing the current 14 GW solar power increase by up to five times by 2035. The target for low carbon hydrogen production capacity is doubled to 10 GW by 2030, with the aim of providing cleaner energy for industry as well as for energy, transport and possibly heating. There will also be a 30 30 million ‘heat pump investment acceleration tender’ to build British heat pumps – an alternative to gas boilers. The government said the plan was set in the face of rising global energy prices – attributed to the recovery in demand following the pandemic lockdowns and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:33 “Onshore wind farms are’s eyes” Minister of Business and Energy Kwasi Kwarteng said: “We need to protect ourselves from future price increases by accelerating our drive towards cleaner, cheaper, domestic energy. “The simple truth is that the cheaper, cleaner energy we produce within our borders, the less we will be exposed to unpleasant fossil fuel prices set by world markets that we cannot control. “Scaling up cheap renewables and new nuclear power plants, maximizing North Sea production, is the best and only way to ensure our energy independence in the years to come.” Consumer bills will be lower this decade than they would otherwise be as a result of government measures, he said. The government also said the strategy would mean an additional 40,000 jobs. Fracking was not part of the strategy headlines – although earlier this week the UK commissioned an industry inquiry following a 2019 moratorium. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department appears to have blocked a proposal to expand a program to upgrade household insulation and energy efficiency. “The government’s energy restart is in disarray,” said Ed Miliband, the shadow working-class secretary for Labor. He said the plan “failed in the sprint we needed for dry wind and solar energy – the cheapest, cleanest forms of domestic energy”. “This restart will do nothing for the millions of families now facing an energy bill crisis,” Miliband added. “No reversal of the ban on terrestrial wind energy and not a penny more for energy efficiency.” The CBI said the strategy “sets an ambitious bar for a more sustainable, low-carbon energy system for the future”, but also said businesses needed help with rising bills now.
