WSP responds to UK Government's Energy Security Strategy

The UK Government has today published its highly-anticipated Energy Security Strategy, setting out how the UK will increase domestic power generation for greater energy independence, and boost the country's progress towards net zero by 2050.

Read the below comments from Fiachra ó Cléirigh, Head of Energy at WSP about the strategy:

"WSP welcomes the publication of the Energy Security Strategy. The most recent IPCC report made clear the need to take urgent action to limit global warming to 1.5°C and the key role the energy sector must play in delivering this.

“Renewable and low carbon energy options available to mitigate climate change are diverse and at various stages of adoption and maturity.?This Strategy sets out a vision to accelerate both the energy transition and green jobs, with the vision of 95% of our electricity being low carbon by 2030. This plan to boost the UK’s energy security comes at absolutely the right time given the reality of rising global energy prices and ongoing volatility in international markets.

“We must dramatically reduce unabated fossil fuel consumption, scale-up renewables, encourage widespread electrification, and explore the different uses of hydrogen and other fuels, but no one solution will be a silver bullet. The focus on the role of nuclear energy in the Government’s strategy could change the shape and timing of the energy transition significantly, providing flexibility in the pathway to net-zero.?We welcome the government’s more ambitious target of 50GW of offshore wind by 2030 alongside the Holistic Network Design blueprint, to identify strategic infrastructure needed to deliver on this ambition.

“There will be a significant up-front cost associated with the infrastructure required for our energy transition, so we must focus on the lifetime environmental, social and economic value created by these investments. The Government must create the conditions for the private sector to invest and deliver on a large-scale.

?“Emerging technologies may also have significant potential to positively disrupt the market and preparation to adopt these in-flight is a must. The industry knows it must fully embrace these complexities and the Government’s sense of urgency is welcome here. Having the infrastructure in place to support this is critical and will involve new technologies alongside improvements to existing infrastructure, all of which need to be supported by an agile regulatory framework.

“Deliverability with skills, resources, and supply chains already stretched is a rate limiting critical factor. Support for over 40,000 more jobs in clean industries will significantly aid the growth of the UK’s green economy and enable communities across the country to benefit from the many opportunities our energy transition will provide.”

ENDS