A new report has warned that the government’s current energy policy framework risks leaving the UK short of the necessary electricity supplies to meet demand from end users by the middle of the next decade.
Released on 26 January, the study, by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), analyses the impact of the government’s intention to close all of the UK’s unabated coal-fired power stations by 2025, along with the expected retirement of the majority of the UK’s ageing nuclear fleet.
Nuclear and coal make up a major proportion of the UK’s electricity generation capacity. There are at present 41 combined-cycle gas turbines operating in the UK. There are also 16 civil nuclear reactors across nine sites.
Despite recent governments placing much emphasis on the need for new nuclear power, there remains significant uncertainty about the prospects for future development. EDF Energy’s planned Hinkley Point C nuclear power station is the only new project that is expected to be operational in the UK before 2025.
This lack of new planned generation and forecast closures is combined with an expectation of growing electricity demand. The government is seeking to promote a significant uptake in electric heat and transport as part of a drive to decarbonize the UK’s system, adding further pressure on supplies.
IMechE’s report suggested that, taking these factors into account, the UK could face a 20%-55% shortfall between demand and supply for electricity by 2025.
