TALKING HEADS/ VICTORIA MUSTARD
Some future insights from energy experts
What could the future energy mix look like, and what does Britain need to do to achieve net zero? Victoria Mustard asks energy industry experts.
E
very month, Xoserve releases a new episode of its podcast, Decarb Discussions. The podcast takes an in-depth look at the challenges and potential solutions around decarbonising gas and Britain’s journey to net zero. Each episode features specialists in their field, offering insight into current technology, policies, and the infrastructure shaping the energy transition. Guests are also asked to look at the future and what they believe will be required to meet net zero emission targets. Despite many opinions as to what the future energy system might look like, one thing is certain: there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, a combination of low-carbon fuels will be required to reach the government targets. By sharing ideas and expert knowledge, businesses and sectors stand a better chance of developing a successful decarbonisation strategy that meets their industry’s needs, ending the carbon emissions era over the next 26 years.
Decarbonising buildings and industry with gas One widely discussed topic on the podcast and across the energy sector is the potential for low-carbon gas, such as biomethane or hydrogen, to support the decarbonisation of buildings and energy-intensive industries. Collectively, buildings and industry account for 31% of the UK’s emissions, the county’s second and third highest-emitting sectors after transportation, according to the Climate Change Committee. As part of Britain’s Net Zero Strategy, hydrogen produced from renewable sources, or green hydrogen, could help decarbonise heat in buildings and keep hard-to-abate sectors moving forward. At the end of last year, the UK
government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero made the strategic decision to support the blending of up to 20% hydrogen by volume into Britain’s gas distribution networks. This announcement provided some desired guidance to businesses, investors and the gas industry with the hopes of boosting the hydrogen economy and bringing the UK to the forefront of decarbonisation. While blending is only proposed as
34
roadmaps for bringing the required renewable energy projects online.
Net zero needs consumer buy-in
Alongside the gas sector, Xoserve’s podcast welcomed participants from the world of academia. In one episode, Dr Grant Wilson from Birmingham Energy Institute talks about the UK’s plans to decarbonise heat and what he believes needs to happen next to successfully achieve net zero. One key element was for “people
to feel more connected to the energy system” and to ensure that the knowledge and data used within the energy sector were made more accessible. He felt this was a necessary factor “so that people don’t feel that the energy system is just changing, and they don’t know why. This inevitably leads them to think the worst, or makes any changes difficult to buy into.” The disconnect is evident in two
a transitional option, it could help to propagate a whole system approach to energy, with green hydrogen producers using excess renewable energy which would otherwise have to be curtailed. If hydrogen blending does go ahead,
it will require a change to current legislation. Charles Perez-Storey, principal engineer at Progressive Energy, spoke on Decarb Discussions about why hydrogen blending could be crucial to the decarbonisation of the energy system. He advised that to facilitate blending, there needs to be a change to the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations, which currently limits the amount of hydrogen in the gas networks to 0.1% by volume. Charles also believes that having “all the barriers removed” by 2025 when it comes to hydrogen blending will be “a massive step forward for the global race to decarbonisation and our net zero ambitions”.
Infrastructure and planning roadblocks One significant challenge for implementing hydrogen beyond 20% volume is the need to upgrade gas network infrastructure. Britain’s current energy networks are not suitable for 100% hydrogen, but are also not prepared for nationwide electrification,
Another study found that 71% of UK citizens do not believe the country is on track to meet net zero
and delays in renewable energy projects are a major roadblock on the path to net zero. This is a concern for Christer Stoyell, managing director of Severn Trent Green Power, who feels resolving slow grid connections needs the most attention to get green power projects online sooner. “The speed of connecting new
renewable assets into the power grid can often be quite challenging, with lengthy time frames. If we could try to speed it up, you’d start to see some of that bear fruit. That would make a big difference,” he says. When there are longer timelines
for connecting renewable energy projects, it presents an opportunity to consider the use of low-carbon gas assets. This includes looking at how existing gas technology, infrastructure and production can be adapted while investigating the costs and potential
recent studies, one of which found that commonly used terms used by businesses, such as 'environmentally friendly' and 'locally grown', are only understood by a minority of people. Another study found that 71% of UK citizens do not believe that the country is on track to meet its net zero target. These findings support Grant’s idea that successfully implementing an energy transition will require widespread understanding and a commitment to the necessary changes. Without this, policies such as the recent decision to delay the ban on fossil fuel boilers until 2035 may face further delays. After speaking to a range of experts,
it is evident that there is no single solution, method, or decision that can effectively reduce carbon emissions in the UK’s buildings and industries. Sector leaders, energy experts, academics and policymakers must collaborate to create an integrated energy system that can provide reliable, environmentally friendly, and affordable energy. Without such a system, achieving net zero emissions is impossible. ■
References
1
https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2023/06/Progress-in-reducing- UK-emissions-2023-Report-to- Parliament.pdf 2
https://www.euronews.com/ green/2024/01/25/green-sustainable- net-zero-study-finds-majority-of-brits- dont-understand-key-climate-termi 3
https://www.edie.net/seven-in-10-brits- dont-believe-uk-will-reach-2050-net- zero-target/
Victoria Mustard Decarbonisation lead at Xoserve
EIBI | FEBRUARY 2024
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
