• • • POWER • • •
THE NEED FOR A MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO NET ZERO
BY PATRICK GARDINER, SVP CUSTOMER SUCCESS, POWWR
There has been an increased adoption of low- carbon technologies, the electrification of transport and heating, and greater use of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Coupled with this, there has also been enhanced corporate responsibility and transparency seen across businesses in nearly every industry.
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It has been good to see the energy industry transition the grid away from fossil fuels and towards more sustainable energy practices. Some of this will have been driven by economics. Renewable energy production is getting cheaper all the time, with research showing that the average cost of generating a megawatt hour (MWh) of wind born energy is around a quarter that of gas. Due to this, the percentage of energy coming from renewal sources continues to rise. Over the past year, approximately 40 per cent of the UK’s energy is now considered ‘green’.
Sky high energy demands of
modern data centres The need to accelerate the move towards renewables has come, in part, due to the huge electricity consumption requirements of the new
16 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING •MARCH 2026
here is no doubt that considerable progress continues to be made towards net zero in the UK.
breed of super-powered data centres needed to run complex artificial intelligence (AI) calculations. Such data centres are seen as the lynchpins of modern business infrastructure as they support critical operations across multiple industries. However, they have sky high energy demands. It is not a problem that is going to go away
either. In 2024, data centres consumed around 415 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy globally. However, this is expected to reach 945 TWh by 2030.
A greener energy system To provide grid stability at a time of increased demand, the Government recently announced their intention to build multiple new nuclear power stations in the UK. This came hot on the heels of a similar announcement back in July when it confirmed the biggest clean energy investment in a generation had been secured for Sizewell C from EDF, Centrica, La Caisse and Amber Infrastructure Limited.
The renewed interest in nuclear is something that goes somewhat against the recent tide. After all, nuclear power generation has fallen from 7.5 GW to 3.9 GW over the past decade. But, together with wind and solar, nuclear will be instrumental in securing a greener energy system that can protect households and businesses from rising gas prices in the future. Not least of which because, unlike solar and wind, nuclear energy is not weather dependent.
Market dynamics
Of course, whilst a growing percentage of the UK’s energy comes from renewables, around a third still comes from traditional fossil fuels. There is a
strong national security argument to be made to ensure that this percentage continues to reduce. After all, the more the UK relies upon fossil fuels, the more exposed it becomes to volatile global market dynamics.
Heavy dependence on imported fuels can also heighten strategic vulnerability, as the UK must compete with other nations for supply during periods of scarcity. Scaling up domestic renewable energy reduces exposure to these external factors, helping to stabilise prices, strengthen energy security, and support resilient economic growth.
A multifaceted approach A multifaceted approach to net zero will be required this year to not only support current sustainability goals, but to ensure enhanced energy supply stability now and in the future. Wind and solar will continue to play their part, but we need to look towards more flexible power sources to supplement them. Especially those, such as nuclear, that can be turned on and off as required. Work still needs to be done. Unfortunately, electricity use in the UK is a lot more inefficient than it should be which has exacerbated the problem. A significant percentage of users have still not made the switch to smart metres. This alone makes it difficult for the energy industry to effectively load balance the grid because they simply do not know exactly when people need energy the most. Thankfully, times are changing and there will be increased data available through initiatives such as MHHS that should lead to increased intelligence and a lowering of wasted energy.
https://www.powwr.com
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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