Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of using non-fungible tokens in the issuing of North Sea licences.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The North Sea Transition Authority, the regulator and licensing body for oil and gas, offshore hydrogen and carbon storage, has made no such assessment.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a Government grant for the replacement of old double glazing windows.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Our ‘Help to Heat’ schemes ensure homes will be warmer and cheaper to heat. We are continuing to deliver energy efficiency improvements to a significant number of homes, helping households to save money on energy bills.
Double glazed windows are currently eligible to be installed under the Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Energy Company Obligation schemes, and many households have already benefited from this measure.
We are considering which measures will be eligible under the future schemes announced in December 2023.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans he has for small modular reactors to contribute to (a) net zero and (b) energy security; and whether he has discussed these goals with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The British Energy Security Strategy (BESS) announced that Government will scope and set up Great British Nuclear (GBN), a body to help projects through every stage of the development process and develop a resilient pipeline of new build projects.
There remains a wide range of nuclear technologies available for deployment, including small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs have the potential to play a key role in the UK’s future energy mix as we transition to Net Zero in 2050 and in supporting our energy security.
The Department’s engagement with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd and with vendors across all technologies reflects the Government’s policy priorities, and ambitions, in line with the BESS.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will discuss with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd his plan for procurement of small modular reactors.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has awarded up to £210m from the Advanced Nuclear Fund to Rolls Royce SMR Ltd to support the development of their Small Modular Reactor design.
As outlined in the British Energy Security Strategy, the Government intends to initiate a selection process in 2023, with the intention that we will enter negotiations with the most credible projects to enable a potential Government award of support as soon as possible.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has a policy on stockpiling lithium-ion batteries.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government does not have a specific policy on the stockpiling of lithium-ion batteries.
As for other goods, the approach to the storage or stockpiling of batteries will be a decision for any parties involved. The storage of batteries should be carried out in compliance with UK laws, including ensuring safety requirements are met.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of which UK-based industries, other than wind farms and electric vehicles, are dependent on the supply of lithium-ion batteries.
Answered by Graham Stuart
According to projections from a June 2022 report by the Faraday Institution, in 2040 lithium-ion batteries manufactured for private cars and light commercial vehicles will account for around 80% of total UK battery demand, with the remainder manufactured for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), buses, micromobility and grid storage:
https://www.faraday.ac.uk/news-ev-battery-prod-2040-update-june2022/.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the stocks of batteries held by (a) windfarms and (b) other key UK infrastructure in the event of a halt in the export of batteries by a major supplier such as China.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Flexibility technologies, including batteries and other electricity storage, are being considered as part of the Government's Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA).
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, where the lithium-ion batteries used in UK wind farms are sourced from.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The use of large lithium-ion batteries in UK wind farms is limited to wind turbines attached to battery storage facilities or that are involved in the National Grid’s Black Start service. Any UK windfarms that use lithium-ion batteries will source them globally.