A new report from the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC) has declared that major systemic and attitude shifts will be needed if the UK is to hit its 2030 clean energy targets.
Titled Rapid Decarbonisation of the GB Electricity System, the report was compiled by an independent working group led by the Royal Academy of Engineering. It sets out six key elements required to achieve the rapid decarbonisation required for net zero goals to be met, including building digitally-enabled systems, ensuring that the UK has strong central leadership accountable to the prime minister, taking a proactive approach to procurement and regulation, and “grasping the nettles” to fix problems with planning and consenting delays.
The document also lays out several recommendations for the early days of the new UK government, including setting out clear objectives for the energy transition and an evidence-based vision of how it will be achieved, establishing a dedicated digitalisation delivery unit, and “urgently” establishing “clear, single-point, empowered, cross-government leadership within Mission Control, including a chief engineer role or equivalent”.
A ‘sharp increase’ in offshore wind and ‘significant co-investment’
The report notes that a “sharp increase” in offshore wind capacity will be necessary to achieve a decarbonised electricity system by 2023, as well as working to expand onshore wind and solar generation, especially in areas where the grid is already able to absorb new capacity.
Professor Sir Jim McDonald, president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “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.”
“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.”
One point of focus was the need for “significant co-investment from the public and private sectors”, an opinion echoed by many in government and the private sector. A number of steps have been taken recently to address this, including the launch of the National Wealth Fund by the new Labour government and former MP Chris Skidmore’s launch of Desmos Capital Partners, a private investment bank targeting scale-up stage green tech businesses looking to raise £5 million or more through Series A or B funding rounds.
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.
Director of sustainable engineering collective Arup Group, Dame Dervilla Mitchell, added: “Transforming the UK’s electricity grid to provide 100% clean power will require strong leadership in both engineering and in government, working together 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.”
