Networks
Britain’s national energy system operator (“NESO”) has a statutory duty to maintain the frequency with which current and voltage varies on the GB grid at 50 Hz +/- 1%. It also has an operational range which it may only exceed for 1500 minutes per [...]
In the past few years, we have been repeatedly told by the system operator, now known as NESO (National Energy System Operator) that the GB power grid can be underpinned by a combination of renewables (wind and solar) and imports from other countries. NESO [...]
Today I have published a new report into the heat pumps market and the UK’s policies for decarbonising heating. The UK Government has set ambitious targets for the deployment of heat pumps as the main route to decarbonising home heating. But progress is slow [...]
Last week the Global Warming Policy Foundation has published a short report I wrote in the use of electricity interconnectors in the GB power market. Aimed at a lay audience, the report sets out the challenges we face in our growing reliance on electricity [...]
In March, Ofgem disappointed many by indicating that it is minded to reject all but one of the seven interconnector projects applying for authorisation under the cap and floor mechanism. The only project which makes the grade being the Tarchon (1.4 GW) between Britain [...]
The GB electricity market has become increasingly reliant on interconnection with other markets. In its 2023 Future Energy Scenarios , NG ESO said: “To manage dunkelflaute periods, dispatchable thermal power plants (gas and/or hydrogen), depending on the scenario and year, are likely to be [...]
In recent months questions have been asked around the future of Britain's gas infrastructure and pressure put on both the Government and Ofgem to address the question of gas network decommissioning. The UK Government has entered into a legal commitment to reduce the country’s [...]
Britian’s latest subsea interconnector, the 1.4 GW Viking Link with Denmark began commercial operations at the end of December. Initially its capacity will be limited to 800 MW until internal grid reinforcement in Denmark is completed, since if it ran at full capacity the [...]
In this final post in my series on minerals critical to the energy transition I look at rare earth metals. The name "rare earths" is often used to describe all 15 elements comprising the lanthanide series on the periodic table along with scandium and [...]
In this next post in my series on the critical minerals required for the energy transition, I look at more of the essential components of batteries: graphite and manganese. Graphite is an often over-looked part of the battery supply chain Carbon is one of [...]