New gas plants to bolster Net Zero transition?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

The UK government today announced a commitment to support the building of new gas power stations - a commitment UK officials claim is designed to bolster impending Net Zero goals - but many renewable energy professionals are questioning whether it really is the right path to follow.

In today’s announcement, the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) stated that the Climate Change Committee recognised the UK will need gas power stations to act as a back-up into the 2030s to ensure energy security and keep energy costs down.

This will be achieved, it’s said, by broadening existing laws requiring new plants to be built Net-Zero ready as well as able to convert to low carbon alternatives in the future; i.e. CCUS and hydrogen.

Indeed, UK Prime Minister Rushi Sunak says of the announcement: “the latest stats [on Net Zero] show that we’re already halfway there, with greenhouse gas emissions 50% lower than in 1990.

“But we need to reach our 2035 goals in a sustainable way that doesn’t leave people without energy on a cloudy, windless day.”

But, however positive this sounds, renewable energy experts are already questioning the announcement - raising their concerns over introducing new gas-fired power stations to the UK energy market - with some pushing back against the announcement as underlining the “desperate need” for fundamental reform of how the grid connection process operates; a process and a grid that are simply “not fit for purpose”.

And, whilst there may be arguments to support thinking on both sides, this does raise questions. Including: if the national gas and electricity grids were fit for purpose and new renewable energy projects were able to connect to the grid(s) in a timely manner, would we need to support the construction of new gas plants in the lead up to the Net Zero deadline?