Labour may need to approve new gas-fired power stations to meet its goal of decarbonising the UK’s electricity systems by 2030. This decision, though difficult, is crucial for the new government.
The UK will need additional baseload power to keep the lights on for the rest of the decade and beyond. New nuclear power stations will not be ready in time, according to a report from the National Engineering Policy Centre.
Existing gas-fired power stations will be kept operational as long as possible, but more may be required. Wind and solar generation are set to increase significantly, but the UK’s nuclear reactors are aging, and coal has almost been phased out.
“There is a reasonable chance that we will need new gas-fired power stations,” said Nilay Shah, a professor of process systems engineering at Imperial College London and co-author of the report. However, he stressed that these stations should be ready for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology by locating them near potential underground carbon storage sites. The number needed will depend on factors such as new interconnectors between the UK and overseas electricity grids.
Simon Harrison, the head of strategy at the engineering company Mott MacDonald and co-chair of the committee that wrote the report, added that a small number of gas-fired power stations would enhance the UK’s resilience, even if they produce some carbon emissions. “We have to not be purist about unabated gas,” he said.
Ed Miliband, the energy and net zero secretary, faces a tough decision in meeting the goal of decarbonising electricity generation by 2030. In March, Rishi Sunak faced criticism from green campaigners for announcing plans for new gas-fired power plants, which they said was due to the Tory government’s failure to encourage enough new renewable energy generation.
Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit think tank, said: “Keeping a supply of unabated gas plants in 2030 – some new as older ones are planned to go offline before then – in reality would probably mean they are only on for short, infrequent periods, rather than being on much of the time like they are today. These plants will probably be expensive to run, and gas prices are predicted to remain volatile, so it is in consumer interests to keep their usage low as well as in the interests of our energy security and, of course, climate change.”
Labour’s manifesto acknowledges the need to keep some “unabated gas” for supply security. The Committee on Climate Change has also said some gas-fired electricity could be needed as the UK aims for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Miliband will also need to address the UK’s outdated electricity grid and erect new pylons for transmitting power from new onshore and offshore wind and solar farms, according to the report published on Tuesday.
The report states that major work is needed on transmission infrastructure, including new pylons. Although there could be local objections, the upgrade would benefit people nationwide, creating new jobs, rejuvenating regional economies, improving air quality, enhancing health, and mitigating climate change impacts.
Protests against new pylons have been supported by local groups and politicians like Adrian Ramsay, co-leader of the Green party, and other Green and Liberal Democrat politicians. The Tory party manifesto promises to bury pylons, but this is more expensive than using overhead cables.
“We need to show people the benefits,” said Harrison. “There should be a proper opportunity for public debate about this plan.” He called on Labour to act more swiftly than previous administrations: “There needs to be a different level of engagement than we have seen in recent times.”
The report also advises caution about the future of biomass power in the UK. It suggests ministers should make “stop-go decisions on future support” for biomass. Large biomass-burning power stations like Drax, which provide baseload power, are divisive because they burn wood.
“Biomass generation is only worth supporting if the emissions savings are genuine and based on sustainable feedstocks, which is contested for biomass pellet imports to the UK,” the report said.
The report is likely to receive some support in the government. The National Engineering Policy Council, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering and which drafted the recommendations, was co-chaired by Patrick Vallance until he was appointed as a science minister by Keir Starmer in one of his first acts as prime minister.
A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “We are taking immediate action implementing our long-term plan to make Britain a clean energy superpower.
“This is the only way to guarantee our energy security and protect bill-payers permanently, which is why we will double onshore wind, treble solar and quadruple offshore wind by 2030. We will also maintain a strategic reserve of gas power stations to guarantee security of supply.”