A new report on the journey towards achieving clean power by 2030 highlights the urgent need for increased investment in low carbon energy technologies.
While the goal is technically achievable, energy experts caution that reaching the target will require a huge scale-up of renewable energy capacity and flexible energy technologies.
The report emphasises that ramping up renewable energy sources – particularly offshore wind, solar, and onshore wind – is critical to reaching clean power by 2030.
However, to meet Labour’s pledge of 55GW offshore wind capacity, experts point out that an unprecedented 13GW of offshore wind needs to be procured in the next two Contracts for Difference (CfD) auctions—more than in any previous auction.
While significant progress is being made, experts warn that this alone will not meet the UK’s clean power target of over 95% low-carbon energy.
According to modelling by LCP Delta, adding renewable capacity in line with current targets will only provide 89% low-carbon energy, falling short of the 95% target needed.
LCP Delta’s analysis suggests that in addition to renewable energy, a mix of flexible technologies will be essential.
These include energy storage, demand-side flexibility, and firm low-carbon capacities such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen.
These technologies will be key to balancing supply and demand, especially during periods when renewable generation, like wind and solar, is low.
Unabated gas is also predicted to continue playing a role in the UK’s energy mix, despite the growth of renewables.
LCP Delta’s modelling indicates that unabated gas will still be needed for approximately 30% of hours across the year, although it will make up less than 5% of the overall generation mix.
