Battery technology needed for fast UK renewable power expansion
By Sophie Handler
LONDON (ICIS)–Battery technology and accurate
weather forecasts will be crucial to the rapid
expansion of renewable capacity in the UK,
market sources said.
Although a vast number of renewable energy
projects are now under development to ensure
that the UK’s energy targets are met, there are
still a number of issues that will prevent some
goals from being achieved.
The government currently aims to cut the
processing time for offshore wind farms from 13
to six years before 2030, meaning that wind
power production will increase rapidly in
coming years.
Offshore wind generation is set to reach 160TWh
by 2030, making up most of the UK power
generation mix, according to ICIS analytics.
However, there needs to be sufficient storage
capacity in place to ensure that increased
renewable production is being used
productively.
CURRENT ISSUES
The growing capacity of wind generation is
likely to break the grid, a trader active in
the UK market said.
“Pump storage is a fantastic solution. Current
batteries do not solve the issues. If we can
get more long duration storage, that is what is
required, four to eight hour runs not 30-60
minutes,” the trader said.
This is because the grid is built around steady
flows of energy, which due to its unpredictable
nature is not something that wind power is able
to provide.
Geographic location creates transport issues, a
second trader said, meaning that some areas
will struggle to be supplied with wind power.
“The whole green push and renewable adaptation
truly rely on battery technology and extremely
accurate weather forecasts,” the second trader
said.
Battery storage will allow for management of
excess supply which has equal potential to
cause blackouts if not managed by the grid.
UK ENERGY TARGETS
A statement regarding the UK’s energy strategy
was
released on 7 April to provide guidance for
challenges surrounding energy insecurity.
New strategies are being shaped by long-term
targets for renewable sources such as wind and
solar power, which hope to boost long term
energy independence and security. This is
becoming especially important as Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine continues to threaten
energy supply across Europe.
The hope is renewables will also help reduce
energy prices amid the current drastic,
sustained increase, as well as helping the UK
achieve its net zero goal by 2035.
The government’s targets include a focus on
offshore wind power, aiming for 50GW of
wind generation capacity by 2030 instead of the
previously set 40GW.
With the current installed capacity for 2022
reported as being approximately 13GW, the
targets provide an ambitious and rapid rise.
CfD AUCTION RESULTS
These targets have been set in motion after a
recent round of UK contracts for difference
(CfD) auctions, where almost 11GW of clean
energy was secured. This is almost double any
previous secured amounts.
The auctions were especially successful for
offshore wind projects, which through achieving
almost 7GW makes the 2030 target of 50GW much
more achievable.
CAPACITY CONCERNS
Due to these plans focusing heavily on offshore
wind which tends to have longer lead times,
future capacity additions become difficult to
address.
This causes supply concerns for upcoming
winter seasons.
There may need to be a delay in the planned
closure of coal assets to prevent winter energy
supplies from running low.
This, combined with the impact of wind power on
the grid makes the future of these kind of
renewables uncertain.
Gloss