The system the government is trying to implement works around low-carbon electricity (from renewable or nuclear sources) can sign long-term contracts to supply at a preferential rate, so effectively legislating against carbon emissions. While this on the face of things looks like a step in the right direction the head of climate change at WWF-UK had some harsh criticism of the legislation, while saying it was a step in the right direction he indicated that it did not nearly go far enough.
One significant implication of the legislation is that it will effectively subsidise the Nuclear Industry as it is a low carbon source of electricity, which is at odds with the coalition agreement, that there would be no state subsidies for nuclear power. Incentives have been shared across, what the government has been to classify as, low-carbon industries; though surely a worry is that the renewable industry will be stifled in the UK, compared against more established technologies.
If we take a look at the German
Company Strabag’s development
of serialised wind turbine installations, and the speed of that development,
we can see what can be achieved focus is placed on renewable energy. This goes
to highlight that while the renewable industry is growing in this country at a
very healthy rate more can be achieved with greater support.
The Nuclear industry by its very
nature is a slow developing beast with small evolutionary design changes targeted
towards safety rather than taking revolutionary design steps. This approach
being taken to ensure that we have the safest plants possible, as we are
dealing with radiation sources after all. If we take a look at the development on
the EPR plant at Flamenville
in France we can see how slow Nuclear can progress.
The government is worried, and so
should we all, about the impending likelihood of black outs and, with the
nuclear renaissance faltering, needed to promote growth within the energy
sector. With the energy bill they hope to achieve that, unfortunately as the
bill seems to be lacking in detail in some areas and over complex in others,
the likelihood of success is uncertain.
The future energy balance in the
UK must be made up from a mixture of renewable and nuclear in order to be
anywhere near the targets set for 2050 on reducing carbon emissions and we must
develop a smart grid in order to deliver electricity to where it is needed. That
is why clear direction is needed from the government on such issues and while
the UK may not ever be a major contributor to global nuclear technology we still
have the opportunity to be world leading in renewable/clean technology.
Also posted @ the Developing Engineers Blog!
