NESO releases proposals to decarbonise the UK’s energy sector by 2030

The UK’s National Energy System Operator (NESO) has released an independent analysis providing advice on the country's pathway to achieve clean power by 2030. The analysis was commissioned by the UK’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and it concluded that the country’s ambitions are achievable if the government takes urgent action to push the necessary policies to reach its targets, considering necessary that the British regional power networks increase their growth rate at least four times faster than in the past decade, while the UK’s high-voltage transmission network would also need to double its growth rate seen in the previous 10 years. 

The report also proposed two pathways to achieve the government’s goals, with both involve increased electrification of heat, transport and industry, and the massive development of renewables. The first one, "Further Flex and Renewables", relies heavily on the development of new renewable energy projects (aiming for 50 GW of offshore wind capacity in the next 6 years with no new dispatchable plants), while the second one, "New Dispatch", targets 43 GW of offshore wind and 2.7 GW of new dispatchable plants using either low-carbon hydrogen or carbon capture and storage (CCS)). Regardless of the chosen pathway, NESO considers necessary to double the UK’s onshore wind capacity (27 GW) and triple its solar power (47 GW) by 2030. 

The government is expected to consider the advice and develop its clean power action plan before the end of 2024. The UK aims to decarbonise the electricity sector by 2030, focusing on increasing renewable energy use, reducing gas reliance, and enhancing infrastructure investment.