Posted on: 13/08/2024
This week's energy news headlines: A £3.4bn electricity link between Scotland and England gets funding approval; GB saw a steep rise in power imports in the first half of the year; The Government asks for advice on setting climate change targets. Our industry round-up includes the latest updates from Government departments and energy regulators.
Ofgem has launched a consultation around the development of a digital solution to consumers to share their energy data to receive tailored services to manage energy bills. It closes on 4 October.
EnergyUK has published a spotlight on the statistics of energy in the UK in a global context.
The Government has published the latest data on energy consumption in the UK with breakdowns of the industry, transport, domestic and services sectors.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has published details on how to apply for the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) which supports performance improvements to existing district heating or communal heating projects.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has published its latest Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES).
Ofgem has given the green light for a £3.4bn funding package for an electricity superhighway between Scotland and England to boost grid capacity.
The project is the first of 26 major connection projects to complete a fast-track process under the regulator’s Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework which it said could deliver estimated savings of £1.5bn.
The Eastern Green Link 2 project, a subsea and underground 500km cable between Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and Drax in North Yorkshire, could power up to 2 million homes.
Jonathan Brearley, Ofgem CEO, said: “This announcement is a further step in putting the regulatory systems and processes in place to speed up network regulation to achieve its aim.”
A sharp rise in power imports into Great Britain from Europe was seen in the first half of this year, according to latest figures.
The period saw an 81.7% jump in power imports which Montel Analytics said was down to factors including the return to service of several French nuclear units and full operation of the Viking interconnector with Denmark.
The UK is now the second largest net importer of electricity in Europe behind Italy.
Phil Hewitt, director at Montel Analytics, said: “The overall rise in net power imports to GB would have been higher had it not been for a 16% increase in power exports from Britain to Ireland over the past year.
“However, this didn’t do much to offset the much steeper rises in electricity flows from the continent and the Nordics.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is seeking advice on the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions targets ahead of the next COP meeting in Brazil.
Under the Paris Agreement, countries need to submit their next Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) well before the next COP in late 2025.
Miliband has now written to the Climate Change Committee, the Government’s advisory body, for its guidance on the UK’s NDC for 2035.
“We recognise that our 2035 NDC needs to take account of our commitments under the Paris Agreement, the outcome of the Global Stocktake, the UK’s existing legally binding domestic commitment to net zero by 2050, delivery challenges, the latest available science and other factors,” he said.
A clear majority of the UK public supports the construction of new electricity grid infrastructure to deliver a faster roll out of low-cost renewable energy, according to a survey.
Polling by Opinium Research, commissioned by RenewableUK, also found that most people (61%) would feel frustrated if a local renewable energy project supported by the majority of the community was blocked from being built by a small number of objectors.
Of those polled 59% support the construction of new electricity grid infrastructure to deliver a faster roll out of low-cost renewable energy, with only 6% opposed.
RenewableUK’s Head of Strategic Communications Nathan Bennett said the polling on public attitudes to new grid infrastructure was “revealing”.
“It shows that the majority of people are happy to see new grid built near to them if the project is part of a clear national plan, provides local funding for communities and enables investment in projects which generate low-cost power,” he said.
Linking the emissions trading schemes in the UK and EU could deliver an £8bn economic boost and help achieve climate goals, a new report has argued.
The Frontier Economics report, compiled on behalf of a number of major energy firms, found that the move would support efficient UK-EU trade and reduce the costs to both the UK and EU of meeting decarbonisation goals.
It also said it would support industrial competitiveness by creating a combined carbon market with more depth than either market standing alone.
“In addition to these benefits, as part of a broader EU-UK reset, linking the schemes could be a powerful way for the UK and EU to signal intent on global climate leadership,” it added.
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