The UK needs three new nuclear plants the size of Hinkley Point C in order to generate enough low-carbon power to meet its climate change targets, a leading union has warned.
As part of its ten-point plan for a green recovery in the energy sector, Prospect has called for the construction of 10GW of new nuclear capacity by 2030.
The union urged the government to follow through on its commitment to deploy 40GW offshore wind and said at least one operational carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) demonstration project will be needed by the end of the current decade to address the UK’s “faltering” progress towards its 2050 net zero emissions target.
It also called for 15GW of new onshore wind and solar and at least one tidal energy demonstration project as well.
The union warned that the current deployment of low carbon energy remains “far too low” to reach this target, while the impending decommissioning of much of the UK’s existing nuclear fleet risks a “major capacity shortfall” by the end of the 2020s.
“At present, the only suitable low carbon firm power technology proven to work at scale is nuclear and getting the nuclear new build programme back on track needs to be a key priority for government,” it added.
The report recommended that Ofgem be given a “strong mandate” to support projects that integrate different clean energy technologies in the “most efficient and cost-effective” ways, like the proposed nuclear-focused energy clusters proposed at Sizewell and Moorside.
It said these integrated low-carbon energy clusters could help drive forward progress on multiple strands of a comprehensive net zero roadmap that the report urged the government to publish as a “matter of urgency”.
The union said the regulator’s mandate should also be strengthened to deliver “much greater” investment in flexible energy grids, especially at the local and regional level.
And the report called for new mechanisms for financing low carbon energy, like issuing sovereign green bonds and re-establishing a public Net Zero Investment Bank, in order to ensure that bill payers do not face an “ever-increasing burden” for green energy subsidies.
It said: “The government should no longer seek to fund clean energy subsidies through customer energy bills and instead look to leverage the historically low cost of public borrowing to greatly increase investment in net zero projects.
Other recommendations included the training of a skilled workforce to upgrade the energy efficiency of the UK’s homes and offices and the creation of a Net Zero Energy Commission featuring trade union representatives.
Sue Ferns, senior deputy general secretary of Prospect, said: “For too long there has been no clear leadership from government and no long-term plan to get us to our decarbonisation goals.”
She continued: “A low carbon energy sector requires a commitment to more renewables, new nuclear, and the delivery of workable new technologies like CCUS. Without this we will definitely fail to meet our legally binding carbon targets, become increasingly reliant on imported energy, and could face significant energy gaps.
“The time for dither, short-termism and political weakness is well and truly over. Ministers and energy companies alike need to use their collective will and financial power to do what is needed.
“The current government claims to want to level up the economy. This plan can help them do that. They have a large majority in the Commons. All they need is the political will to make it happen.”