Tag: Energy Security and Net Zero Department

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 30 August 2023.

Two projects have been awarded funding to develop windfarm mitigating prototypes and new funding announced to help the government accurately model the effectiveness of the different solutions.

• The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and DASA has awarded £3.2 million in funding to minimise the impact of offshore windfarms on UK Air Defence.
• The funding will be used to help develop prototype demonstrations of windfarm mitigating technologies such as new materials and sensor technology.
• A further competition has also launched today, with up to £500,000 in funding available for innovators with expertise in modelling and testing the effectiveness of different mitigation technologies.

Another significant boost to the UK’s renewable energy expansion has been delivered today, with fresh multi-million-pound Government funding and the launch of a new competition driving the move to minimise the impact of offshore windfarms on UK Air Defence surveillance.

Funding worth £3.2 million has been awarded by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), to two projects aiming to demonstrate technologies which can mitigate offshore windfarms’ impacts and their interference on defence radar.

Alongside this a new £500,000 competition has been launched which will help companies find solutions to accurately model and test the effectiveness of these technologies.

This will help ensure the UK remains on course to reach its ambition of 50GW in offshore wind by 2030, whilst supporting and co-existing with our air defence capabilities.

The Windfarm Mitigation for UK Air Defence: Phase 3 Programme is funded by the government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and is undertaken in partnership with the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), and DASA.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said:

“Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has shown us how important it is to power more of Britain from Britain.”

“Our offshore wind capability plays a huge role in delivering our energy security, with world’s four largest offshore windfarms in UK waters.”

“But with the war raging on, we need to make sure our energy security and our national security remain fully compatible.”

“This funding will ensure our offshore wind works alongside our latest air defence technologies – boosting our defences through our military, and by delivering home-grown energy for our homes and businesses.”

The first winner of the funding today is LiveLink Aerospace, a Hampshire-based aerospace company, who have been awarded up to £1.3 million in funding.

Their project will address the challenge of radar clutter caused by the rotating blades of wind turbines, which can degrade the performance of air defence radars and surveillance systems.

The firm’s work comprises of developing a series of small low-cost and robust passive air defence sensors, which do not emit any signals themselves, and therefore do not interfere with the radar returns from wind turbines.

The second winner is Trelleborg, an engineering firm based in Nottinghamshire, which has been awarded up to £1.8 million in grant funding to deliver a project on the use of advanced materials in wind turbines to tackle radar interference. Trelleborg will use its existing expertise in manufacturing and engineering of stealth materials to deliver next-generation wind blades which will cause less interference with radars.

Key dates and funding

Also announced today, is up to £500,000 in funding now available for Stream 2 of Windfarm Mitigation for UK Air Defence: Phase 3.This phase seeks to provide funding for innovators with expertise in modelling and testing the effectiveness of different mitigation technologies, with the end goal of producing the best technology through the right combination of radar, materials and mapping software.

The deadline to submit a proposal is midday 24 October 2023 (BST).Read to full competition document to submit a proposal.

The Windfarm Mitigation for UK Air Defence Programme

As part of the UK’s renewable energy supply to achieve Net Zero goals, offshore wind energy will be essential. However, the installation of offshore windfarms may cause detrimental effects on the quality of data gathered from surveillance radars, which are crucial for the UK’s air defence detection capability.

The Windfarm Mitigation for UK Air Defence programme has been addressing this challenge area for several years. After the successful completion of Phase 1 and Phase 2, Stream 1 of Phase 3 was launched earlier this year. The primary objective of Stream 1 is to support prototype demonstration of the technologies that could mitigate the impact of windfarms on UK Air Defence.

Stream 2 aims to find innovative solutions that can accurately model and test the effectiveness of different mitigation technologies.

Wing Commander Kevin Walton, Co-Chair of the Ministry of Defence/Offshore Wind Industry Council Air Defence Mitigation Task Force said:

“The MOD is playing an active role in the UK’s efforts to build a greener, net-zero future.

“Offshore wind will play a central part in meeting our nation’s renewable energy needs and ensuring energy security for the UK. Complementing existing RAF work to mitigate the impacts of large-scale offshore windfarms on our current radars and the previous phases of this competition, this 2nd stream of Phase 3 of the innovation competition will play an important part in helping us to find the right combination of future solutions that will enable the long-term co-existence of windfarms and the UK’s air surveillance radars.”

Windfarm Mitigation for UK Air Defence Programme: Phase 3 – Stream 2

To support the decision making on further development of windfarm mitigation technologies, it is necessary to develop a model which can be used to objectively compare the funded solutions, determine their effectiveness in reducing the impact of proposed offshore windfarm developments and predict the consequences and benefits of combining solutions together.

For this competition, we are seeking models that can help assess the performance of different windfarm mitigation technologies to inform future policy decisions. The model should be able to assess the technologies and combinations against a set of specific metrics, data, and different scenarios.

Example scenarios include:

• Several military jets crossing over a windfarm
• A fast jet performing a turn over a windfarm
• A supersonic fast jet traversing a windfarm at high/low altitude

Example metrics include:

• Percentage of time over a windfarm that the target remains tracked
• Time to re-establish tracking if lost
• Delay of any tracking.

Read the full competition document for a more detailed breakdown of the competition’s requirements.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 29 August 2023.

£341 million investment builds on the government’s existing £870 million stake and its plans to rapidly expand nuclear energy in the UK.

Steps to further speed up preparations to make the site at Sizewell C in Suffolk shovel-ready have been announced today (Tuesday 29 August), as part of a major drive to create a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK.

Ministers today made available a further £341 million of previously allocated funding for development work on the project. The extra money will help prepare the site for construction, procuring key components from the project’s supply chain, and expanding its workforce.

It would see activity ramp up at the Suffolk site, supporting continued preparation works, such as constructing onsite training facilities for 1500 apprenticeships, further development of the plant’s engineering design, and direct investments in the local community ahead of work starting. The funding would build on the government’s existing £870 million stake and help drive progress towards the long-standing objective of reaching a Final Investment Decision on a new large-scale nuclear project this Parliament.

Sizewell C would provide reliable, low-carbon power to the equivalent of 6 million homes over 60 years – saving the UK as many as 9 million tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. At the peak of construction work, it would support 10,000 jobs nationwide, with 70% of the value of construction contracts in the supply chain going to UK businesses.

Making this funding available is the latest measure to support the government’s plans to rapidly expand nuclear energy in the UK, powering up to a quarter of UK electricity demands by 2050, key to reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels from overseas, providing energy independence and security of supply in Britain.

Minister for Nuclear and Networks Andrew Bowie said:

Sizewell C will be a significant part of the revival of nuclear energy in this country – providing clean, home-grown power to millions of homes, providing thousands of jobs and ending reliance on foreign electricity to bolster our energy security.

Today’s funding announcement is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to this vital project, and will mean the site will be shovel-ready, and work able to start, much more quickly.

This is the second tranche of planned government investment this summer, further supporting plans to secure private investment using the newly established Regulated Asset Base (RAB) finance model and bolstering the pledge of taking a final investment decision on Sizewell C this Parliament.

Like Hinkley Point C in Somerset, Sizewell C would comprise 2 reactors, generating a total of 3.2GW of electricity, equivalent to 7% of the UK’s electricity needs. It would help deliver the government’s ambition for up to 24GW of the UK’s power to come from nuclear sources by 2050 – 4 times the current level.

Sizewell C Company Joint Managing Director, Julia Pyke, said:

This is great news and puts us in an even stronger position to start full construction. It will also allow us to implement several community schemes over the next few months. We want people living near Sizewell C to see the benefits of the project as soon as possible and we’re looking forward to getting started on a range of proposals which will bring real improvements to the area well before the main construction gets underway.

The news follows the launch of a new arms-length body Great British Nuclear (GBN), responsible for helping to deliver new nuclear, grow the economy, drive down bills and boost the country’s energy security. The initial focus of GBN will be on Small Modular Reactors, but further large gigawatt-scale projects will also be considered to help deliver on our net zero ambitions.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 23 August 2023.

The UK supports the supply of vital fuel for Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, as the Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps visits Kyiv.

Grant Shapps has visited Kyiv as the UK took action to support the supply of vital fuel for Ukraine’s plants to help power the country through the winter.

The Energy Security Secretary travelled to the capital to meet senior government ministers and leading energy industry figures to discuss Ukraine’s recovery and ongoing UK support following the illegal full-scale invasion by Putin’s Russia.

His visit comes just 2 months after the UK hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, where international commitments for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction topped $60 billion. The UK government also agreed a Memorandum of Understanding committing support to Ukraine’s energy sector and green energy future.

During the visit on Tuesday, Grant Shapps visited a power station, a critical part of Ukraine’s national infrastructure, that has been badly damaged by Russian bombing and is now undergoing repairs.

The Energy Security Secretary was later shown around a kindergarten attended by Nikita, the young son of the family he took in under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which was also damaged by Russian shelling. The children performed a song before Mr Shapps played them a recorded message from Nikita.

The visit came as the UK announced its intention to provide a £192 million loan guarantee through UK Export Finance (UKEF) – the UK’s export credit agency – enabling UK-headquartered Urenco to supply Ukraine’s national nuclear company, Energoatom, with uranium enrichment services, a vital part of nuclear fuel, which will help power Ukraine.

Once provided, the support will bring the total of the UK’s non-military assistance to Ukraine to nearly £5 billion.

Nuclear power generates over half of Ukraine’s electricity and the UKEF support announced today is a move towards continuing to supply much-needed power as Ukraine defends itself and recovers from Russian aggression. The support will strengthen Ukraine’s energy security and further isolate Putin by helping the country maintain its independence from Russian nuclear fuel.

Urenco, renowned for nuclear enrichment services, has been a supplier to Energoatom and Ukraine since 2009. The support announced today will enable the further supply of services, with a significant portion of the deliveries coming from the UK – supporting specialist manufacturing jobs in the North West and Wales and the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Our support for Ukraine is unwavering in the face of Putin’s barbaric invasion – the UK continues to stand with Ukraine as they repel Russian attacks and rebuild their country.

Being here on the ground, it’s truly remarkable witnessing first-hand the sheer courage, resolve and gritty determination of the Ukrainian people.

Putin has used energy as a weapon of war: the action today to support nuclear fuel deliveries will help Ukraine end their reliance on Russian supplies and bolster their energy security.

Urenco CEO Boris Schucht said:

We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing developments in Ukraine and our thoughts are with the people suffering as a result of the conflict.

Since the start of the invasion, we have provided support to our customer, Energoatom, and its employees, and increased our supply of nuclear enrichment services to help provide energy independence and security of supply in Ukraine.

We are actively discussing longer term supply with Energoatom and are ready to play our part in supporting their future.  We have the capacity to meet current demand for uranium enrichment services and options to increase this to provide an enhanced offering globally.

Collaboration from governments, such as in the UK with this agreement, is critical to facilitate this, as well as with customers and the wider nuclear industry, and we will continue to do all we can to play a valuable role.

During the visit, the Energy Security Secretary met Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov and Minister for Energy German Galushchenko to discuss the UK’s support for Ukraine recovery.

Mr Shapps’s visit also comes just days before Ukraine celebrates its Independence Day, celebrating its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

In Kyiv, Grant Shapps met Energoatom’s President Petro Kotin to discuss Urenco’s vital role in supplying nuclear fuel to Ukraine. The Energy Security Secretary also met other Ukrainian energy company leaders to discuss their critical efforts in keeping the lights on for the Ukrainian people and in the recovery.

Today’s news follows the G7 Energy Ministers’ meeting in Sapporo Japan, at which the UK, US, Canada, Japan and France agreed a new nuclear fuel alliance to leverage their respective resources and capabilities of each country’s civil nuclear power sectors to undermine Russia’s grip on supply chains and displace Putin from the international nuclear energy market.

Urenco is the only uranium enrichment company in the UK and is a key part of the government’s plans to rapidly expand nuclear power to provide up to a quarter of all the country’s electricity by 2050, through supporting a resilient nuclear fuel supply chain for the UK and its key international partners.

UKEF support will be provided through a back-stop / guarantee with funds released by partner banks once financial terms are agreed.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 15 August 2023.

New artificial intelligence (AI) solutions will accelerate industrial decarbonisation across the country, with nearly £4 million in government funding for green innovations.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to transform the way industries cut their carbon emissions thanks to a multi-million-pound government investment announced today (Tuesday 15 August).

Twelve green AI initiatives will receive a share of £1 million to decarbonise and boost generation of renewable energy, contributing to reaching the country’s ambitious net zero goal by 2050.

The schemes range from solar energy improvements, that use AI to improve the forecasting of when it will best produce energy for the grid, to the decarbonisation of dairy farming through the use of AI robots monitoring crop and soil health.

Even AI itself could reduce its carbon footprint, with one project developing hardware that will mimic the human brain so that a computer can reduce power consumption when performing AI tasks.

On top of this, government will provide a further £2.25 million to support further AI innovations, with the aim of cutting emissions specifically in energy sectors.

This forms part of the government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio and cements the UK’s position firmly at the forefront of AI and decarbonisation.

Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Lord Callanan said:

We are unquestionably world-leading when it comes to advanced AI and our track record for decarbonisation.

This unique position means we must now push the boundaries in how this technology can enhance our rapidly-growing clean energy sector.

It’s projects like those announced today that will take us to the next step on our ambitious journey to becoming net zero, while boosting our energy security and creating a new wave of skilled jobs for the future.

Minister for AI and Intellectual Property, Viscount Camrose, said:

AI is delivering transformative change in the UK. These winning projects are yet another example of how we are tapping into our world-class research base and home-grown expertise to tackle one of the most pressing global challenges of our time.

Whether backing projects to help us slash emissions or supporting research to revolutionise healthcare for patients, we’re harnessing the enormous potential of AI technologies to improve people’s lives.

The government’s Digital Catapult agency, which is part of Innovate UK and supports businesses in progressing their ideas, has also today received up to £500,000 to launch the UK’s first Centre for Excellence on AI innovation for decarbonisation (ADViCE).

This will provide a virtual hub that will bring together businesses, academics and experts to advance research into AI solutions that will help industries cut emissions.

CEO of Digital Catapult, Dr Jeremy Silver, said:

The ADViCE programme will drive forward AI’s integral role in solving critical decarbonisation challenges. The programme partners sit at the heart of the UK’s dynamic AI ecosystem and are perfectly placed to forge collaborations between the technology community and some of our most carbon intensive sectors.

Smart use of AI and data will be fundamental to meeting the UK’s net zero commitment. ADViCE will support those building the algorithms and those investing in AI solutions in the most impactful way possible.

The AI projects to receive a total of £1 million to develop new decarbonisation solutions include:

• Secqai Ltd. in London will receive £100,000 to support the development of new ultra-low-power AI technology, which mirrors the neural structure of the human brain. This new system will consume a fraction of the power of traditional AI hardware, helping to cut its carbon footprint
• £121,500 for London-based Open Climate Fix Ltd. to develop AI that will support the connection of solar electricity to the energy grid. The technology will use satellite and weather data to forecast the amount to solar energy being transferred to the grid, to reduce network congestion and maximise the amount of renewable energy transmitted
• £133,932 will also support a solar energy project run by the University of Nottingham. In this project, AI will improve the forecasting of solar energy production, using sky images and weather data
• £132,147 will help list.io Ltd. to create a new agriculture robotics that will provide an automated soil and crop health monitoring system, to support decarbonisation in crop management and dairy farms

The government has today announced a further £2.25 million under its AI for Decarbonisation Programme, taking the total funding provided to £3.75 million. Energy firms, software developers and innovators have until 10 October 2023 to apply.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 14 August 2023.

British businesses will be able to access new advice and support to reduce their energy bills and cut their carbon emissions from the UK Business Climate Hub.

British businesses will be able to access brand new advice and support to reduce their energy bills while cutting their carbon emissions.

The UK Business Climate Hub launched today (14 August 2023) includes a free carbon calculator and a suite of new tools to help businesses measure, track and report on their emissions and save money by using less energy. It offers detailed advice on everything from sourcing products from green suppliers and reducing emissions from freight and logistics to the most cost-effective ways of installing solar panels and electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

Research shows that such measures can significantly save companies on their overheads. For example:

• switching to EVs can not only cut running costs but also lower servicing and maintenance costs by around 40% compared to petrol or diesel cars
• with up to half of companies’ overall electricity bill coming from lighting, making changes such as switching to LED bulbs can help shave up to 40% off bills
• giving drivers fuel efficiency training can help save companies an average of 15% on fuel use and carbon emissions in transporting goods

The new support is aimed particularly at 5.5 million small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK, with business and industry accounting for around 25% of emissions. Research shows that 90% of SMEs are keen to tackle climate change, but find it difficult to know how or where to start to find the right solutions to reduce their carbon footprint.

Studies also show 85% of consumers are more likely to buy from a business with a reputation for sustainability, meaning going green can help grow the economy.

Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Graham Stuart, said:

The UK has cut its emissions more than any other major economy in the world. More and more businesses are recognising the business benefits of reaching net zero and we’re determined to empower them to do so.

The new UK Business Climate Hub is a one-stop-shop for businesses to find practical advice to reduce their carbon footprint and save on their energy bills.

Whether it’s fitting a low-carbon heat pump, generating energy with solar panels, or reducing the emissions from shipping goods, the new support will ensure businesses can drive towards net zero.

The new UK Business Climate Hub serves as a one-stop-shop for businesses who have yet to start making changes, as well as those who are already taking action to reduce emissions but want to take things to the next level. As well as helping bosses measure and report on their emissions, the site provides advice and support on an array of things, including:

• switching employee modes of transport and paying less for company EVs
• getting business grants, green loans and financing for a retrofit
• getting an air source heat pump
• generating green energy with a wind turbine and selling it back to the grid
• reducing emissions from farming and land use
• buying credible carbon offsets
• getting low-carbon product labels and certifications
• reducing waste and recycling more

National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, Martin McTague, said:

We are pleased to have contributed to the new UK Business Climate Hub that will provide businesses with trusted tools and information to help them navigate the net zero transition.

SMEs recognise their role in net zero but many still find it challenging to access the relevant support and resources to play their part. This new official platform for advice and support will really help.

In addition to helping small firms become more energy and resource efficient, the hub also has the opportunity to empower small firms to take ambitious steps towards net zero, ultimately ensuring that they also benefit from the economic opportunities created in a net zero economy.

The new site is endorsed by business leaders and ministers on the new Net Zero Council and comes as the organisation calls on business representative organisations across the country to take concerted action to plan to reduce their members’ emissions.

The group, comprising CEOs from leading companies including Co-op, HSBC, Siemens and Cemex, have developed a new business roadmap framework to help empower businesses to work with others in their sector to create tailored action plans for their own industry to decarbonise.

These sector roadmaps would help companies the length and breadth of the country, from Aberdeen to Aberystwyth, and Penzance to Peterborough, to transition to net zero.

Co-Chair of the Net Zero Council, Co-op Group Chief Executive Shirine Khoury-Haq, said:

None of us will get to net zero without all of us getting to net zero, so ensuring that every business and every sector has a clear plan for delivering this non-negotiable target is key. I hope the UK Business Climate Hub will be a valuable tool for business leaders looking for guidance and support in this vital endeavour.

The framework, which has been endorsed by the Net Zero Council and that is being published today, is designed to support organisations working to articulate a credible roadmap to net zero on a sector by sector basis.

In 2020 the UK was estimated to already have over 400,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country, with turnover at £41.6 billion. Over 80,000 green jobs are currently being supported or are in the pipeline because of new government policies since 2020, with that expected to increase to as many as nearly half a million by 2030.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 12 August 2023.

Households across the country will benefit from specialist face-to-face advice on how to make their home more energy efficient and save on their energy bills.

Households across the country will benefit from specialist in-person advice on how to make their home more energy efficient and save on their energy bills.

Backed by £20 million of government funding, 36 pilot services will trial new ways to get expert advice out to those that need it most, with more than 125,000 households to benefit across England.

This will be particularly targeted at those in hard-to-treat homes, such as listed buildings, as well as those who are hard to reach, such as the elderly and people who do not have internet access.

In Birmingham, locals will be able to pop into new energy cafes across the city to find out how to make their homes more efficient. The initiative, backed by over £800,000, aims to make the advice accessible to more people over a friendly chat.

Elsewhere, a new ‘green doctor’, backed by £302,000, will be offering ‘home check-ups’ for older and low-income households in North Yorkshire and Cumbria to advise on which energy efficiency measures would be beneficial in their homes.

This is expected to help more than 19,000 households install retrofit measures, ranging from loft and cavity wall insulation to draught proofing, better heating controls, and new heat pumps.

It forms the latest in a series of support to help households keep their bills down, as part of the government’s efforts to cut inflation.

Other projects to receive funding today include a retrofit electric bus to bring on-the-road energy saving tips to customers around North Yorkshire. While in Lincolnshire, an electric energy van will travel to rural areas of the county to explain how government schemes can help people reduce their energy use.

Amanda Solloway, Minister for Energy Consumers and Affordability, said:

We want everyone to be able to get expert advice on how to make their homes more energy efficient, no matter where they live, so they can save money.

These innovative projects will bring that expertise right to people’s doorsteps, quite literally in some cases, ensuring people are given the best advice on how to save money on their bills and heat their homes for less without needing to search for it.

This is alongside our investment of billions of pounds to improve energy efficiency across the country – reducing bills at the same time as making sure Britain’s homes are fit for the future.

Schools and community hubs will also be put to use in projects across the country to help pass on energy advice and support for households.

Energy efficiency remains the best approach to reducing fuel poverty in the long-term, contributing to warmer homes and reduced energy bills, while helping to cut carbon emissions.

The new initiative launched today will help households to access these benefits – particularly the elderly and those without internet access, or in listed buildings and rural areas.

Mike Thornton, Chief Executive at Energy Saving Trust said:

It’s good news that the government is moving to increase targeted support for those most in need. Personalised advice is crucial in empowering people to confidently make the right changes in their home.

With our 30 years’ experience delivering advice schemes across the UK we know that funding is most effective when combined with personalised energy efficiency advice.

National Energy Action chief executive Adam Scorer said:

Energy advice has never been more important, at National Energy Action, we know the vital role local charities play in supporting their communities on the ground.

This programme recognises the key role of local projects, especially to support households with limited access to internet, who all too often miss out on advice. As our own local fuel poverty awareness events show, you really can’t overstate the effectiveness of in-person advice.

Today’s support comes on top of the resources launched earlier this year, including an online Find ways to save energy in your home tool and a new energy efficiency phoneline to help households get quick and accurate information on retrofitting their home.

Households can also access a range of government support for retrofit upgrades to their homes, including the Home Upgrade Grant and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, as well as ECO4 and The Great British Insulation Scheme.

The support forms part of the government’s £6.6 billion energy efficiency drive, with a further £6 billion committed from 2025 to 2028.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 11 August 2023.

£10 million fund to open in early Autumn and help deliver government’s ambitions to restore optimism and pride in local communities.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 10 August 2023.

The UK will host a new global energy security conference.

The UK will host a new global energy security conference next year, bringing together countries from around the world to shore up critical energy supplies and make the system more resilient to shocks.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps will invite senior government ministers and industry bosses to the landmark London Energy Security Conference, around the time of the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine, and other historic shocks such as the oil crisis of the 1970s, show how interconnected global energy security and critical supply chains are, with the impacts hurting consumers the world over. To prevent this happening again, the UK is convening this new conference to enhance international cooperation and build global resilience against these shocks.

The conference will take place in the Spring and focus on:

• building energy resilience nationally and internationally
• speeding up the deployment of clean and resilient energy infrastructure
• advancing technologies and innovation to promote greater energy independence
• cooperating internationally to boost energy security around the world
• helping provide consumers and businesses with cheaper, more secure energy

The London Energy Conference follows a significant programme of international engagement by the Energy Security Secretary. In recent months, Grant Shapps has agreed greater collaboration on visits to the United States, Japan, South Korea, India, France and the North Sea Summit in Belgium. These have been on top of holding key talks with global leaders including at the COP27 negotiations at Sharm El-Sheikh, the G7 Energy and Climate Ministers Meeting in Sapporo, the G20 Energy talks in Goa and the UK’s recent leadership in hosting the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said:

As history has shown, including more recently with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, global energy security and supply is interconnected. Shockwaves quickly travel around the world and hurt consumers and businesses by sending global prices soaring.

We acted swiftly to protect the British public, providing unprecedented energy bills support, cutting off all Russian gas supplies and setting out our blueprint for boosting homegrown energy production to power up Britain.

But energy security does not stop at our borders – our landmark London Energy Security Conference will bring together international governments and industry leaders to help rewire the global energy system and build collective resilience.

Next year’s London Energy Security Conference will build on the UK’s existing work to boost domestic energy security – with the UK’s decarbonisation leadership to reach net zero by diversifying its energy mix also bringing benefits for global energy security as well. The government has set out plans to power up Britain, by scaling up the deployment of cheap renewables and boosting our homegrown supply of nuclear, while also maximising North Sea production.

Recent steps taken include:

• the Prime Minister confirming hundreds of new oil and gas licences will be granted in the UK, with the government continuing to back the North Sea oil and gas industry
• the revival of nuclear in the UK, including launching Great British Nuclear to drive the rapid expansion of new nuclear power plants in the UK at an unprecedented scale and pace
• a £22 million increase in government backing for renewables through the government’s flagship renewables scheme
• earlier this year, the government published the Powering Up Britain package, building on the British Energy Security Strategy, demonstrating how the government plans to secure our energy system by ensuring a resilient and reliable supply, increasing our energy efficiency, and bringing bills down

This has come alongside the UK working together with allies across Europe, G7 countries, and across the world to accelerate the global transition to clean, reliable sources of power and energy efficiency – both to improve energy security and tackle climate change.

The UK is also well-placed to bring the international community together on energy, building on world-leading achievements in delivering cleaner, cheaper renewable technologies.

This includes being the first major economy to legislate for net zero, and between 1990 and 2021, cutting emissions by 48% while growing the economy by 65% – decarbonising faster than any other G7 country.

The UK has increased the amount of energy coming from renewables from 6.7% in 2010 to 41.5% in 2022, is home to 4 largest offshore wind farms in the world and last year, saw the biggest increase ever in the installation of offshore wind capacity.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 4 August 2023.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps welcomes report from Nick Winser, the UK’s Electricity Networks Commissioner, and will consider the recommendations before presenting an action plan.

Today’s report by Electricity Networks Commissioner Nick Winser sets out plans to bolster the country’s energy security and ensure the UK is taking full advantage of its position as a world leader in renewables.

Since 2010, the UK has been hugely successful in increasing investment in renewable energy generation by 500%. To ensure the country is taking full advantage, remains equipped to harness the opportunities of renewable energy, and gets the additional supply of clean power to homes and businesses, the government asked Nick Winser to carry out his review.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps welcomes the report and will consider the recommendations before presenting an action plan later this year to strengthen the UK’s energy security, drive down household bills and grow the economy.

Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has had a devastating effect on global energy markets and accelerated the need for more home-grown energy sources, including renewables, nuclear and North Sea oil and gas.

Today’s report suggests that new power lines can be built in half the time and confirms that, while challenging, speeding up the delivery of strategic electricity transmission lines is “vital and achievable”. A set of recommendations has been put forward to reduce current timescales for delivering onshore transmission network infrastructure to 7 years to help deliver energy security and net zero more quickly. The government will respond to these proposals later this year.

Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Grant Shapps, said:

The UK is leading the world on renewable energy and decarbonising faster than any other country in the G7. We must ensure we are taking full advantage of our success and getting the increased supply of homegrown, clean energy that we have at our fingertips to people’s homes and businesses for years to come.

That is why we asked Nick Winser to carry out this review – I welcome his report and am grateful for his work.

This is another important step as we continue to reform our energy system to drive down bills, grow the economy and ensure tyrants like Putin can never again use energy as a weapon of war.

Minister for Networks and Nuclear Andrew Bowie, said:

With renewable energy already making up around 40% of our total electricity supply, the UK has a world-class renewables sector. We are determined to match this with a world-class system for delivering this growing supply to where it is needed.

We will be considering Nick Winser’s recommendations closely as we work towards achieving an energy system led by renewables, nuclear and other clean, home-grown technologies.

Carl Trowell, President, UK Strategic Infrastructure at National Grid, said:

This report from the Electricity Networks Commissioner is both timely and welcome, following our recent launch of The Great Grid Upgrade, the largest overhaul of the electricity transmission grid in generations, with significant new infrastructure planned across England and Wales.

There is no time to waste, implementing the proposals and progressing the energy transition at pace is the surest route to more affordable bills, greater energy resilience and a more energy independent UK.

Rebecca Barnett, Ofgem’s Director of Networks said:

We need bold reforms to accelerate the delivery of electricity transmission infrastructure needed to end the reliance on fossil fuels for power by 2035.

Nick Winser sets out an ambitious, highly detailed programme to remove barriers to planning and delivering transmission network and plugging renewable generation into the grid.

This builds on Ofgem’s work to establish strategic national and regional planning; unlock and accelerate infrastructure investment; and end delays in grid connections to homes, businesses and public services.

Today’s report comes as the government publishes new proposals to grant Secretary of State for Energy Security powers to direct the Future System Operator (FSO) – the new public body that will be tasked with planning a decarbonised energy system – to take action to address risks to national security.

The new powers could be deployed if a company, contracting with the FSO, is found to threaten the resilience, safety or security of the UK’s energy system, such as through cyber-attacks and supply chain vulnerabilities.

These actions could include removing or preventing certain suppliers’ involvement or equipment in our energy supply chain, such as by directing FSO to not contract with third party suppliers to ensure the security of the system.

The new powers would be used as a last resort option and are in addition to the 2021 National Security and Investment Act, which gives the government the power to address investment and ownership risks to national security.

They also come on top of a new role for the FSO to use its expertise to plan for certain events that could harm the country’s energy resilience – such as extreme weather or flooding. The FSO will act as an expert adviser to the government on making the UK’s energy system as resilient as possible against such shocks.

In the coming months, the energy regulator Ofgem will consult on new FSO licence conditions with the eventual aim of including this in the FSO’s new licence conditions under the Energy Bill powers.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 4 August 2023.

New plans for heat network customers to receive fairer prices for cleaner heating.