Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support, if any, they will provide to Anglia Ruskin University in their ambition to establish a Global Innovation Centre for Energy Transition in Peterborough.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government runs a significant range of research and innovation programmes to support the transition of the energy system. This includes through UK Research and Innovation, the UK’s agency investing in science and research and interested parties such as Anglia Ruskin University are welcome to apply for these as opportunities arise. More information can be found on UKRI’s online Funding Finder Tool, where all funding opportunities are published (https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/).
In addition, recent investments are set out in the Government’s UK Net Zero Research and Innovation Delivery Plan 2022-2025.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the British energy security strategy policy paper on 7 April 2022, what progress they are making in their ambition for the UK to achieve up to 10 gigawatts of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, with at least half of this coming from electrolytic hydrogen.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Since the British Energy Security Strategy we have made rapid progress, establishing an investable business model to bring forward new hydrogen production facilities and delivering a £240m capital fund to support early deployment. In December 2023, we announced the largest number of commercial scale green hydrogen production projects at once anywhere in Europe, supporting 11 electrolytic projects through the first hydrogen allocation round. The second allocation round is currently underway with annual allocation planned from 2025. This, alongside the cluster sequencing process bringing forward carbon capture and storage-enabled hydrogen, will ensure we remain on track to meet our 2030 ambition.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what funding assistance they are providing for market structures and mechanisms for supporting increased hydrogen production.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK’s strong policy framework – including the Hydrogen Production Business Model, Net Zero Hydrogen Fund and Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard – has created an investable model which has leveraged private investment to kick start the UK’s hydrogen economy.
Government is supporting projects to move the UK closer to our hydrogen ambitions.
In December 2023 we announced 125MW of successful projects from Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR) 1, and have since launched HAR2, aiming to allocate up to a further 875MW in 2025, subject to affordability and value for money.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they are making in establishing a hydrogen certification scheme for imported and exported hydrogen.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In the British Energy Security Strategy, the Government committed to setting up a low carbon hydrogen certification scheme from 2025 and is now working at pace to put it in place.
While the scheme will initially be domestically focused, the Government is taking steps to ensure that it can facilitate international trade in future. This includes participating in international fora on certification and signing a Declaration of Intent at COP28 on cross-border recognition of hydrogen certification.
The Government will set out a pathway to international alignment ahead of launch of the scheme.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of an environmental duty on all relevant regulators, including the Planning Inspectorate, to ensure regulation that is proportionate to the need for more low carbon energy to improve the UK's energy security.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under the Planning Act 2008, the Planning Inspectorate deploys an Examining Authority which examines and makes recommendations to the Secretary of State on whether to consent to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, giving regard to relevant environmental matters in accordance with accompanying regulations and guidance. The updated National Policy Statements (NPSs) define low carbon infrastructure as a “Critical National Priority”. This means that when due account has been taken of relevant environmental legislation, remaining residual impacts are unlikely to outweigh the urgent need for this infrastructure. Strengthening our NPSs is one of several measures we are taking forward to improve the planning system.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the financial and other benefits of new nuclear energy capacity in contrast with new wind capacity.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department’s analysis published in 2020 showed that most of the UK’s future electricity needs should be met from renewables and flexible technologies, including energy storage and demand side response. But it also demonstrated that to achieve a stable, low-cost electricity system and meet Net Zero, we need more low-carbon, firm power such as nuclear to complement the intermittency of technologies like wind and solar and the uncertainties of storage technologies.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/modelling-2050-electricity-system-analysis
The Government’s Carbon Budget 6 (CB6) trajectory also suggests that we will need to build all low carbon technologies at, or close to, their maximum technical limit, to meet the twin challenge of accelerating decarbonisation and servicing increased demand – that is why we have set out bold plans to deploy up to 24GW of nuclear by 2050, alongside our ambitions for 50GW offshore wind by 2030, the development of onshore wind where it enjoys the backing of local communities, and 70GW solar by 2035.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the economic and other benefits of pursuing a large-scale nuclear project at Wylfa, Ynys Mon.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In the Civil Nuclear Roadmap, the Government committed to exploring a further Gigawatt-scale project after SZC. Wylfa is a possible site for such a project, but the Government has not yet made a decision on where such a project would be located and so has not carried out an assessment of the economic impact it would have at that location. However, by comparison, Hinkley Point C supports 10,000 jobs during construction and will support 900 permanent jobs during its 60 years of operation.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the review of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards with respect to reconfiguring Energy Performance Certificate ratings for residential properties which are to be let.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has carefully analysed the responses received to the consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes and is considering how best to ensure any new minimum energy efficiency standards are fair and proportionate to landlords and tenants. The Government will publish a summary of responses by the end of the year.