A new report argues that the government must adopt a “radical” approach to drive the major infrastructure and system transformation needed to decarbonise the UK’s electricity network by 2030.
The report, from the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC), was led by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), and includes recommendations for delivering the required grid, generation, and system flexibility under an accelerated timescale.
Professor Sir Jim McDonald, President of the RAE, said: “There is no time to waste in delivering progress towards this crucial aspect of a net zero energy system. Decarbonising electricity production, transmission and utilisation under an accelerated timeline, will not only provide societal benefits through an energy system that is less vulnerable to global disruption, but will also create an economic and competitive opportunity for the UK to lead on the infrastructure, technology and engineering skills that will shape the future.”
The report – Rapid Decarbonisation of the GB Electricity System – was compiled by an independent working group that included Dame Dervilla Mitchell, director, at global engineering and sustainable development consultancy, Arup.
Speaking ahead of publication of the report, Dame Dervilla said: “Transforming the UK’s electricity grid to provide 100% clean power will require strong leadership in both engineering and in government, working together and adopting a whole system approach towards this critical mission.
“Although there will be technical issues to address, wider concerns such as clarity of ambition, governance, risk allocation and supply chain capacity are the issues most likely to impact the transition of the energy system to 2030 and beyond.”
The NEPC report sets out six key elements required in the government’s delivery plan to achieve its clean power mission, which the organisation says should be central to its Industrial Strategy. These are:
- Building strong support for the vision, to form the basis of an enduring agreement with both the public and industry and help them to embrace the coming changes
- Strong central leadership and governance with engineering at the forefront
- A digitally enabled system that allows the public to engage with the system more flexibly, benefiting grid operation and saving consumers and government money
- A front-foot approach to procurement and regulation to ensure the UK can get ahead in the global race to decarbonise electricity
- Tackle difficult decisions on planning, consenting and connection delays while building public support
- Retain a long-term view to ensure that the intense focus on delivery towards 2030 does not delay near-term actions needed to unlock the best options for post-2030
According to the report, delivery of a “highly decarbonised” electricity system by 2030 will require a sharp increase in offshore wind capacity, as well as ensuring delivery of the transmission network that is already in train, and expanding onshore wind and solar generation, particularly in places where the grid already has capacity to accept new generation.
Government engagement
Government will also need to engage with domestic, commercial and industrial electricity users to unlock the potential for demand to be shifting to the times when wind and solar generation is highest, as well as storing electricity to smooth supply through a portfolio of storage solutions.
Anticipatory investment will be key to success, says the report, with new grid infrastructure and increased distribution capacity identified as central priorities to the 2030 mission. Difficult choices will need to be made to reduce the time taken to deliver new grid infrastructure and connect power generation assets.
This will mean confronting new transmission timelines and planning, grid connection queue delays and supply chain constraints. Adding renewable capacity in locations that can be readily accommodated without new power lines where possible and implementing a more proactive supply chain policy with clear signals to investors, are both identified as potential solutions.
Beyond 2030, the NEPC report highlights changes to a future energy system that cannot be delivered before 2030 but require action this decade. These include:
- Achieving progress on hydrogen storage and transmission
- A national engineering and technology workforce strategy to address skills deficits in the short and long term, including the need for an additional 200,000
- Green-lighting and expanding carbon capture and storage projects and related CO2
transport and storage
- Investing significantly in the distribution network to manage further electrification of heat and transport
- Further expansion of generation, including nuclear projects and potentially including a broader range of renewables such as tidal
Dr Simon Harrison, co-chair of the independent working group and group head of strategy at Mott MacDonald, said: “The scale of work required to decarbonise the electricity system in such a short period of time cannot be underestimated. But the precedent set by the rapid delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine shows that the collective pursuit of a national mission can put a seemingly impossible target within reach. A radical shift in our approach will be needed, but the engineering community has already come together to map that out in this report, and it is ready to roll up its sleeves to deliver the clean energy we need.”
Professor Nilay Shah OBE, professor of process systems engineering at Imperial College London, added: “It will be important to develop a strategic plan from which other key decisions will flow. These key decisions include deciding where new infrastructure and assets will be, as well as supply chain and procurement planning. It will also include the development of a digital strategy to support roll out and real time operation of the system, and ensuring consistency with the interventions which will be needed in the following decades.”
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