In a report published today, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) provides new analysis of technical feasibility and economic viability of renewable and other low-carbon energy technologies and scenarios for renewable energy deployment to 2030.
The government is already aiming for 15% of energy from renewables by 2020 – up from 3% today. The CCC report sets out how 30%, 40% or even 45% of energy could come from renewables by 2030.
The report, Renewable Energy Review, was commissioned last year by energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne.
The CCC also identifies a huge role for nuclear power as the most cost-effective form of low carbon electricity generation, and sets out a scenario where as much as 40% of UK energy could come from nuclear by 2030, with an additional 40% from renewables.
It highlights a range of promising renewable energy technologies which could in future become competitive, including electricity generation from wind and marine, air and ground source heat pumps and the use of bioenergy for heat generation.
It sets out options for addressing intermittency of renewable power generation, including demand-side flexibility, interconnection, and back-up generation, which could support a very high share of renewables in power.
Analysis in the report highlights the importance of other low-carbon technologies for power generation, most notably nuclear and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which have a potentially major role to play in required power sector decarbonisation to 2030, it says.
The review concludes that nuclear generation in particular appears likely to be the most cost-effective form of low-carbon power generation in the 2020s (before costs of other technologies have fallen), justifying significant investment if safety concerns can be addressed. Gas CCS may be particularly useful in providing flexible generation.
Given significant uncertainties over future developments, the review recommends that the government should adopt a portfolio approach to technology development. This should cover both renewable generation and other low-carbon technologies.
The review sets out an illustrative scenario where 40% of UK electricity comes from renewables, 40% from nuclear, 15% from coal an gas with CCS and less than 10% from unabated gas.
.gif)
To underpin the portfolio approach, the review argues that the government should make clear commitments to support less mature renewable technologies such as offshore wind and marine generation through the 2020s. These commitments should then be implemented under new electricity market arrangements.
CCC chairman Lord Adair Turner said: “Our analysis shows that renewable energy technologies are very promising, and have an important role to play in helping to meet the UK’s carbon budgets and 2050 target, alongside other low-carbon technologies such as nuclear and CCS. The focus now should be creating a stable investment climate for renewables, making longer-term commitments to support less mature technologies, and putting in place incentives to deliver significantly increased investment in renewable power and heat generation required over the next decade.”
The full report, Renewable Energy Review, can be downloaded here.
Industry reaction
The Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF) responded to the report by urging the government to open the debate on the 2020 Renewables Target or risk unnecessarily undermining the competitiveness of industry and unnecessarily increasing the costs of energy on consumers.
The CCC report says that even by 2030 most renewable energy technologies are likely to remain considerably more expensive than alternative forms of low-carbon generation such as nuclear and even carbon capture and storage.
EEF believes there should be a more balanced approach that would lead the market to provide a greater mix of energy sources. This would include a greater use of nuclear power, Carbon Capture and Storage and more emphasis on energy efficiency.
EEF director of policy Steve Radley said: “The committee has made an informed and balanced assessment, which reinforces one of the central dilemmas of climate policy. Namely, how can we cut emissions without unnecessarily harming consumers or undermining the international competitiveness of UK industry.
“The message is now clear. Whilst continuing to cut emissions is vital, we owe it to business and consumers to go about it in the most cost-effective way.
“Renewables must play a growing role in our energy mix and we need the right policies to ensure that this happens. But we need to ask if the 2020 renewable energy target is leading us down the wrong path. The previous government signed up to the target without careful consideration of the alternatives. This report provides the perfect opportunity for the current one to reconsider its merits.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
