Monday 2 October 2017

Upbeat Clark says Brits lead the world in energy as he announces new battery group

Energy Secretary Greg Clark told the Tory Conference today that Britain leads the way in energy and will be at the forefront of battery technology.

An ebullient Mr Clark said the world was now looking at what we are doing.

He said: "For the first time in a generation the British Government is leading the way on energy, through taking decisions on new nuclear, rolling out smart meters and leading the way in clean growth.

"The world is moving away from polluting fossil fuels to clean energy. It's as big a change as the move from the age of steam, to the age of oil and Britain is showing the way.

"In the last year, we've established ourselves as the world's leader in offshore wind power, the price has halved and all across the country factories and service centres are opening up, to build and export that technology, a dividend of industrial strategy."

Praising his government's R&D investments he went on reel off the list of car manufacturers committed to making their low carbon cars here, including Nissan, Toyota and Ford. He added the UK could now be the lead in battery technology and announced a new body bringing together business and research.

"As battery powered autonomous cars take over, Britain will be the go to place in the world for new battery technology.

"Today we go further as we announce as part of our industrial strategy, the consortium of businesses and universities from all across the country, who will together form the Faraday Battery Institute, advancing Britain's place in the vanguard of the next generation of this technology."

ELN is reporting from the Conservative Conference watch out for our stories all week