Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
What steps his Department is taking to introduce a regulated asset base for the offshore grid.
Answered by Greg Hands
Our Net Zero Strategy delivers more offshore wind with a more coordinated offshore grid, through the Offshore Transmission Network Review.
Within this, Ofgem have consulted on options for delivery models for offshore connections, including a regulated asset base approach.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to restart the Government’s consultation into the use of a Regulated Asset Base model for renewables and low carbon energy generating assets.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government consulted on the use of a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model for nuclear in summer 2019, concluding that RAB was a credible model for large-scale nuclear projects. The Government introduced the Nuclear Energy (Financing) Bill on 26 October to establish the RAB model to fund new nuclear projects at a low cost of capital, saving consumers money. As set out in our response to the consultation, the Government will continue to consider whether a RAB model could be applied to other low carbon technologies, including transport and storage infrastructure for carbon dioxide (outlined in the Government’s response to the carbon capture, usage and storage business models consultation).
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to assess the fire risks posed by large scale lithium-ion battery storage.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Grid-scale lithium-ion battery energy storage systems are covered by a robust regulatory framework which requires manufacturers to ensure products are safe before they are placed on the market, that they are installed correctly, and that any safety issues found after products are on the market or after installation are dealt with.
In 2018, BEIS set up an industry-led Storage Health and Safety Governance Group responsible for ensuring that an appropriate, robust, and future-proofed health and safety framework is sustained as the industry develops. In 2020 following a recommendation from this Group, the Government commissioned a gap analysis to identify any gaps in the health and safety standards landscape. This will be published in due course
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the cross-Departmental group coordinated by his Department is assessing lithium-ion battery safety in domestic settings in addition to large-scale battery storage facilities.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
BEIS established an industry-led storage health and safety group with an independent chair, following the joint BEIS and Ofgem 2017 Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan.
This group considers the safety of lithium-ion storage both in domestic settings and for large-scale facilities.