Building & Design

Not sure about UK energy policy? Try for yourself…

Supporting the UK Government’s plans to overhaul the country’s energy system, it published yesterday six ‘illustrative 2050 pathways’, looking at different energy choices and tradeoffs.

The 2050 Pathways Analysis is the Government’s first attempt at looking at the country’s energy choices and tradeoffs over the next 40 years.

All the modelled scenarios aim for an 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but with different balances of energy types in the mix.

There are some common threads to each scenario, however. A massive reduction in per capita demand is needed, which will be balanced be increasing electrification of heating, transport and industry – and sustainable bioenergy where that is not possible.

A higher level of renewables in the energy mix will increase the balancing challenge faced by the grid, but there will still be an ongoing need for fossil fuels.

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), a public-private partnership involving BP, Caterpillar, EDF Energy, E.ON, Rolls-Royce and Shell, has welcomed the analysis as a “good start”.

However, ETI chief executive David Clarke cautions:
“The scale of re-development highlighted in some of the DECC report scenarios and in our own work, in supporting the UK’s economic growth, means substantial and sustainable development of UK supply chain capability and capacity is needed.”

And if you are still not convinced, you can try it for yourself with the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s 2050 Pathways Calculator, which allows the public to try out different combinations of supply and demand to meet emission reduction targets while keeping the lights on.

“Engaging the public and industry in identifying the necessary solutions to meet the 2050 targets will become a key part of successfully delivering a low carbon economy for the UK,” says Clarke.

The Government has also issued a call for evidence on the 2050 Pathways Analysis, which will be open until 5 October. An updated calculator will then be released later in the autumn.

For further information:
www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/lc_uk/2050/2050.aspx
http://2050-calculator-tool.decc.gov.uk/
www.energytechnologies.co.uk

28 July 2010

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