Energy costs in the UK increases by up to 54% from the 1st April, making some households looking to pay some £700 per annum & further increases coming in October 2022.
This unsustainable rise & the impact it is already having on British homes means alternative energy sources are needed & they are needed quickly.
With the international price of energy having rapidly increased over the past year, seeing a 12% rise last October preceding the latest large increases; the UK Government has laid out it’s latest energy strategy.
The Government has already invested heavily in sustainable, clean & reliable alternative energy sources & is particularly proud of the investment in wind turbines & offshore wind energy. In 2020 wind energy generation accounted for 24% of total electricity generation (including renewables and non-renewables) & in 2021 this figure had increased to 30%.
However, with the Government seeking ways to become evermore ‘energy independent’ & not rely on importing gas & electricity from outside sources; they are seeking yet more ways of generating reliable & sustainable energy for an increasingly energy reliant nation.
The UK Government’s Nuclear Power Strategy explores how they plan to roll out numerous nuclear reactors across the UK, generating sustainable, clean, reliable & affordable energy, whilst also increasing employment.
The strategy will see a significant acceleration of nuclear, with an ambition of up to 24GW by 2050 to come from this safe, clean, and reliable source of power. This would represent up to around 25% of our projected electricity demand. Subject to technology readiness from industry, Small Modular Reactors will form a key part of the nuclear project pipeline. (1)
A new government body, Great British Nuclear, will be set up immediately to bring forward new projects which could mean delivering up to 8 reactors, equivalent to one reactor a year instead of one a decade, accelerating nuclear in Britain. (1)
The UK government plans to build the first new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C in Somerset, which will provide 3.2 GW of secure, low carbon electricity for around 60 years to power around 6 million homes & provide 25,000 job opportunities. (1)
However, historically there still some resistance to & a nervousness generated by the term Nuclear Energy, with the echoes of Chernobyl still evident some 36 years after the disaster there are still generations who are not convinced about it’s safety & long term environmental impact.
Despite the UK Governments determination to pursue it’s nuclear programme, there are still plenty of energy alternatives which are as sustainable, reliable & clean.
One such company offering an alternative is Highview Power & their CRYOplatform technology.
Highview Power’s CRYOplatform technology, deployed as part of theri Renewable Energy Power Stations, stores renewable energy in the form of liquid air. When power is needed, it expands the liquid air into an inert gas which can produce hours, days, or weeks of constant green energy. (2)
The Highview Energy Renewable Energy Power Stations are 100% green, with their patented CRYOplatform technology using only benign, freely available materials (fresh air) which in turn creates zero harmful emissions to deliver the cleanest solution for storing & shifting renewable energy, making it the best energy storage solution for planet Earth. (2)
In October 2019, Highview Power announced they were to build the UK’s first commercial cryogenic large -scale energy storage facility, to be located at a decommissioned thermal power station in North of England. (3)
The 50 MW/250 MWh project is a clean large-scale energy storage facility that can help the UK achieve its goal of decarbonising industry, power, heat, & transport. (3)
“Long-duration, giga-scale energy storage is the necessary foundation to enable baseload renewable energy & will be key to a 100% carbon free future.” Highview Power CEO Javier Cavada (3)
In addition to supplying energy storage, Highview Power’s facility can also provide valuable services to the National Grid to help integrate renewables, stabilise the electrical grid, ensure future energy security & with global energy storage installations multiplying around the world; can provide 1,095GW/2,850GWh of energy/power by 2040. (3)
Written by Katy-Jane Mason for & on behalf of Dolphin N2
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nuclear-energy-what-you-need-to-know
- https://highviewpower.com/technology/
- https://www.highviewpower.com/news_announcement/highview-power-to-develop-multiple-cryogenic-energy-storage-facilities-in-the-uk-and-to-build-europes-largest-storage-system/
