Tag: Callum McCaig

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if her Department will bring forward plans to invest in energy storage, including pump storage hydro, to increase security of electricity supply.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department recognises the potential for storage to help us use energy more flexibly and decarbonise our energy system cost effectively, alongside interconnection and demand-side response (DSR). In light of this, more than £80m public sector controlled support has been committed to energy storage research, development and demonstration activities since 2012.

Storage is also eligible to participate in the Capacity Market (CM). One pump hydro company has conditionally prequalified with a new project for the next round of auctions this year.

The Department is investigating the potential barriers to the deployment of energy storage. We are carefully considering possible mitigating actions, focussing in the first instance on removing regulatory barriers to energy storage. We plan to conduct a consultation and call for evidence in the spring.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on (a) the supply chain and (b) existing infrastructure of the Government’s decision to cancel the carbon capture and storage competition.

Andrea Leadsom

The provision of ring-fenced capital support for CCS was judged against other Government funding priorities as part of the Spending Review. We are engaging closely with the two bidders and wider industry on the implications of the decision. The Government’s view remains that CCS has a potential role in the long term decarbonisation of the UK’s power and industrial sectors.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent estimate her Department has made of the whole-life (a) cost and (b) carbon footprint of the proposed Hinkley C nuclear power station.

Andrea Leadsom

Payments under the Contract for Difference for Hinkley Point C, like all other CfDs, would be funded through the Supplier Obligation and therefore by electricity consumers. Our current estimates of these costs are in the range of £4bn to £19bn depending on the level of future wholesale prices and operating costs.

EDF commissioned a report in 2011 which concluded that, from a full lifecycle perspective, the greenhouse gas emissions associated with 1 kWh of electricity generated from Hinkley Point C would be 4.75 g CO₂e/kWh.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the probability of the UK not being able to rely on electricity interconnectors to the continent as in previous years because of French and Belgian supply being limited until 2020 due to the closure of old fossil fuel plant and nuclear reactors in those countries.

Andrea Leadsom

National Grid makes an assessment of the extent to which all GB interconnectors can be relied upon at times of system stress. This is based on an assessment of European markets. In recent years we have, in fact, observed increased efficiency of the interconnectors and imports to the UK system at times of peak demand. As market coupling is further implemented, we expect this to continue. This is assessed on an annual basis to take into account any changing market dynamics. For this winter, forward power prices suggest net imports to GB over interconnectors with continental Europe.

Beyond these market arrangements, should GB need additional support, it is also possible for National Grid as the System Operator to call upon interconnectors at a time of system stress.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the international aid budget she plans to allocate to support communities managing the consequences of climate change in each of the next five years.

Mr Nick Hurd

The Prime Minister has announced that the government will provide £5.8 billion from the official development assistance budget over the next five years. This will support the Paris Climate Summit outcome and help the most vulnerable countries protect themselves from the effects of climate change and drive clean economic growth.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress her Department has made on identifying a site for the geological disposal facility for nuclear waste.

Andrea Leadsom

In the 2014 Implementing Geological Disposal White Paper [1] Government set out three initial actions which will provide greater clarity on issues such as geology, development impacts and community representation.

Government and Radioactive Waste Management (the developer of a Geological Disposal Facility) are making good progress delivering these initial actions in the short term, with a clear long term goal of delivering safe and secure final disposal of all our radioactive waste.

Formal engagement between the developer and potential host communities will start in due course once the Government and Radioactive Waste Management have delivered these initial actions.

[1] Further information about the initial actions is in the 2014 Geological Disposal White paper: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/332890/GDF_White_Paper_FINAL.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on security of energy supply of failures this winter in the operation of those major coal power stations which are due to close in spring 2016.

Andrea Leadsom

National Grid, as part of their winter outlook process assesses the overall reliability of technologies based on their historic reliability. This is the ‘de-rating factor’ that is applied to calculate available margins.

There is nothing about the decision to cease connection to the transmission grid that would make a plant more unreliable prior to its planned withdrawal.

Our priority is to ensure that British families and business have access to secure affordable energy supplies that they can rely on and we are taking prudent steps to manage the margins in winter 2016/17. Since 2014 National Grid have had the ability to procure a Contingency Balancing Reserve (CBR), which consists of the Supplemental Balancing Reserve (SBR), where existing power stations stand by ready to generate additional electricity and the Demand Side Balancing Reserve (DSBR) where companies bid for contracts with National Grid to receive payments in return for reducing their electricity usage times of peak demand should National Grid so require. National Grid and Ofgem agree that we should retain the ability to procure CBR for the next two winters. Government supports this position and we expect confirmation later this month following an Ofgem consultation. Beyond winter 2017/18, the Capacity Market will take over as the long term solution for security of supply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of whether the policies outlined in her speech at the Institution of Civil Engineers on 18 November 2015 will ensure the UK meets the fourth Carbon Budget.

Andrea Leadsom

My Rt. hon Friend,the Secretary of State announced in November, this Government is committed to taking pragmatic action to meet the fourth carbon budget whilst ensuring that energy is secure and bills remain low. Measures announced in her speech – including the intention to replace unabated coal with new gas, nuclear and renewables; increased competition; concerted action on heat; and support for innovation – are all in line with this commitment.

Our new emissions reduction plan will be published towards the end of 2016 and will set out our proposals in full.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the sustainability of private sector funding for the (a) Civil Nuclear Constabulary and (b) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Andrea Leadsom

The effectiveness and efficiency of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) is the responsibility of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) – a Non-Departmental Public Body of DECC. Representatives from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and EDF are appointed to the CNPA board, as well as representatives of two of the largest NDA sites where the CNC are deployed – Sellafield and Dounreay – ensuring those using the CNC to be directly involved in ensuring the efficiency, capacity and capability of the organisation.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is wholly publicly funded at around £3 billion per year. Income generated from commercial activities is surrendered to HM Treasury. The recent spending round covers both the anticipated reducing profile of income (as commercial activities cease) and circumstances where such reductions occur earlier than planned.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the probability of the UK having to export electricity across the interconnectors to the continent at times of peak demand during winter 2015-16.

Andrea Leadsom

As indicated by National Grid’s 2015 Winter Outlook, forward power prices for this winter suggest that we will see net imports to GB over electricity interconnectors with continental Europe (IFA and Britned).

Beyond these market arrangements, should GB need additional support, it is also possible for National Grid as the System Operator to call upon interconnectors at a time of system stress.