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The UK Parliament's Science and Technology Committee (Lords) has published a report on long-term energy storage, calling for the Government to ensure that energy storage technology is scaled up to play a key role in decarbonising the electricity system. We concluded that we needed to act quickly. Ensure energy security by 2035.
Long-term energy storage, such as pumped storage, can reduce renewable energy use and grid congestion. This reduces electricity costs and allows more cheap renewable power to be integrated into the system. However, making the most of long-term storage investments and ensuring storage is strategically secured requires a concerted effort. The report says this is essential to achieving net zero and protecting the UK from future energy supply shocks, such as the 2021-2022 energy crisis.
The commission has welcomed the government's recent energy system reforms, including the commitment to develop a strategic spatial energy plan, but the report does not know who will be responsible for implementing this plan or how future energy systems will be developed. It has raised concerns that it is unclear how the supply crisis will be addressed.
The report's key recommendations include calling on the government to:
- Address strategic stockpiling of long-term energy storage, which is essential for energy security.
- Make critical decisions urgently and coordinate the implementation of energy system plans.
- Set clear minimum goals for long-term energy storage.
- Learn more about long-term storage business models.
- Clarify the role of hydrogen in future energy systems and make no-regret investments in hydrogen production and storage.
- Act quickly and reduce schedules for grid connections and planning delays.and
- Engage and communicate with the public to secure support for critical hydrogen and power infrastructure.
Wind and solar are cheap and “form the core of the expanded and decarbonized electricity grid needed to reach net zero in the UK”, but the amount of electricity generated will fluctuate depending on the weather, the House of Lords says. Baroness Brown, Chair of the Science and Technology Committee, said: “Long-term energy storage technology is essential to enabling the UK to maintain security of supply with a high proportion of renewable energy on the grid. energy markets and economies that are decoupled from dependence on imported fossil fuels. But storage is about more than just batteries. Long-term storage, where energy can be stored for days, weeks, or even years, is key. There is hope that the UK will be able to build an energy storage industry.
“Strategic reserves in electricity storage are a key investment in securing the UK's energy supply against future shocks, but the Government remains ambiguous as to whether it needs to invest in this. Since 2023, the Government has had a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Long-term energy storage is a key priority for the Department, as it is essential to ensuring the UK has both. The government has said it wants to have enough energy storage in place to balance and decarbonize the electricity system by 2035, but plans are still not moving forward. Long-term energy storage Building a facility can take seven to 10 years, so there is a clear case for private sector investment to provide the necessary infrastructure, reducing planning delays and grid connection wait times. We need action now to achieve this goal by 2035.”
