Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he expects to receive Great British Energy Nuclear's new framework before the Parliamentary summer recess.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Advanced Nuclear Framework is being developed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, with Great British Energy-Nuclear supporting on the assessment process. This framework will set out a pathway for privately led advanced nuclear projects and will be published early this year.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many biomass boilers granted and installed under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme have had to be replaced due to faults in the installation or in the boiler in each of the last three years.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government does not hold specific data on the number of biomass boilers that have subsequently been replaced under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Ofgem, the scheme administrators, continue to work closely with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) and consumer codes to monitor any complaints received, and to identify and resolve any issues with systems installed under the scheme.
Biomass deployment under the scheme represents a relatively small proportion of overall installations.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress has been made on identifying a location for a geological disposal facility for generational storage of nuclear waste.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A process is underway to identify a suitable site for a geological disposal facility (GDF) in England and Wales. Two areas are currently participating, both in West Cumberland, and site suitability investigations and community engagement activities are well underway in both of these areas. The siting process is consent-based, requiring both a willing host community and suitable geology.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of Advanced Modular Reactors that will be functional and fully operational by 2035.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) have the potential to provide reliable, low-carbon energy for electricity generation and energy uses beyond baseload power.
At the Spending Review, the government committed to provide a pathway for privately-led advanced nuclear technologies. Great British Energy – Nuclear has been tasked with assessing proposals within a new framework, with the National Wealth Fund exploring potential investment opportunities and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero exploring revenue support for viable projects. The new framework will be published shortly.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to announce a replacement for the Advanced Nuclear Fund.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Any announcements regarding funding for advanced nuclear power will be made in due course after the announcement of the Spending Review.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of supplies of Liquefied Natural Gas between January and April 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are confident that we will attract sufficient supplies of Liquified Natural Gas between January and April 2025. In their 2024/25 Winter Outlook, National Gas, the Gas System Operator, noted that they expect the market to deliver LNG supplies to the UK when needed, evidenced in previous years, as prices shift to attract necessary cargoes. We have seen this occur over the first half of winter 2024/25 and expect this to continue over the second half.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to replace the Advanced Nuclear Fund after March 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Advanced Nuclear Fund (ANF) concludes at the end of the current Spending Review Period in March 2025.
All future plans for nuclear innovation will be considered as part of multi-year Spending Review.
The Government remains committed to nuclear power as a key part of our clean power plans and research and development are a critical part of this commitment.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much funding his Department plans to provide for renewable energy projects through the Clean Industries Bonus in Northern Ireland in 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Clean Industry Bonuses are to be awarded through a competitive process, with an initial budget of £27m per gigawatt of offshore and floating offshore capacity that applies for the bonus in the Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7. Given the competitive process, we cannot guarantee or predict who will win funding, though of course offshore wind developers may invest in firms in Northern Ireland as part of the scheme.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with oil and gas companies on projected price changes in the next six months.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy policy in Northern Ireland is devolved. However, Ministers meet regularly with energy suppliers and we expect them to do everything they can to support their consumers, especially the most vulnerable.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on the average cost to energy companies of (a) installing and (b) maintaining smart meters in domestic properties in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2024.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Smart Metering Implementation Programme collects data from energy suppliers on an annual basis pertaining to the costs and benefits of the smart meter rollout. This includes device and installation costs for smart metering equipment, as well as a range of metrics capturing the cost savings of smart meters compared to traditional meters. We do not provide average supplier costs due to commercial sensitivity.