Thursday 31 March 2022

Nuclear and offshore wind put UK in ‘great shape’ to reach net zero

Nuclear and offshore wind put UK in ‘great shape’ to reach net zero

The UK will hit net zero emissions if it maximises its potential with nuclear and offshore wind energy.

That’s according to a study by Carbon-Free Europe, claiming that the UK is one of the European countries best positioned to spearhead a technological approach to achieving net zero.

It predicts that by 2050, electricity demand in the UK will increase by 240%, as buildings, transport and industry become electrified.

Its analysis shows that net zero can be achieved in the UK with a power mix of 36% offshore wind, 34% nuclear, 9% onshore wind, 7% solar and 1% biomass, geothermal or hydro energy. It also estimates that to achieve carbon-neutrality, around 12% of its energy would need to be imported.

The variation of available technologies is considered the key to the UK achieving its environmental targets. The report projects that using a mixture of low carbon technologies and not just renewables will require 226GW less capacity and save the government £5 billion each year by 2050.

The study does state that for net zero demands to be met, annual wind and solar installations will need to see a 150-350% increase.

Lindsey Walter, Co-Founder at Carbon-Free Europe, said: “The UK is well positioned to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 if inclusive policies enforce an all-of-the-above carbon-free energy mix and proper investment is made to scale up the necessary technologies and transmission lines required in a net zero world.”

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

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