Renew Extra Weekly

Given the UK’s tight economic situation, there were some concerns about backsliding on renewables and watering down plan to fully decarbonise the power grid by 2030 after PM Starmer said, at the end of last year, that the target was now to have ‘at least 95%’ clean power generation by that year, i.e. lots more renewables plus some new nuclear, but not totalling 100%.  However, Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband said the remaining 5% was due to the need to maintain a strategic gas reserve. Well it is wise to have a reserve margin, and it does seem that these plant will have Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) added. But it will be quite challenging to get down to 5%, and all with CCS, by 2030, given that fossil gas fired plants supply around 30% of UK power at present and there are as yet no full scale gas CCS plants working in the UK. The first ones look like, at best, they won’t be starting up on Teesside/Humberside until 2028.    He also said nuclear power was vital, and that ...