The government has already set out plans to clean up the energy system and drive the transition to net zero in its Energy White Paper, which was released in December. Key elements in the white paper include a £1bn investment in carbon capture storage and a £1.3bn investment in the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In addition to this, it considers how to achieve the government’s commitment to 40GW of offshore wind by 2030, including 1GW of floating wind, while attracting new offshore wind manufacturers to the UK. It also details possible funding mechanisms for EDF’s £20bn Sizewell C nuclear plant, with the government confirming it is entering into negotiations with EDF regarding the scheme. With this in mind, key areas to watch in the Budget include further clarification on funding for nuclear schemes – including small nuclear – along with more detail on plans for renewables and wind projects in the year of the COP26 climate conference. However while the industry would no doubt welcome a list of potential future schemes, it seems unlikely that Sunak will make this sort of commitment this week.
New Civil Engineer 1st March 2021 read more »
Dr Jonathan Marshall, ECIU: The Budget is a prime opportunity to bring some much-needed certainty and direction that can underpin the journey to net zero, writes ECIU’s Dr Jonathan Marshall. It is close to five years to the day since the now defunct Energy and Climate Change Select Committee released its report detailing how policy uncertainty was hindering the low carbon transition.
Business Green 1st March 2021 read more »