When the net zero deadline was determined back in 2015, 2050 seemed to be a long way off. However, as we approach the 10-year mark, doubts are creeping in about the UK’s ability to reach this goal. This concern has only grown since the UK government pushed back some of its net zero objectives, like moving the ban on petrol and diesel cars back by five years and delaying the decommissioning of gas boilers. The question is, can we still reach this net zero deadline?

At first glance the pushback seems like a major step in the wrong direction. However, it certainly isn’t all doom and gloom, and it could in fact offer the UK new opportunities when it comes to futureproofing the National Grid’s infrastructure and the development of renewable technologies.

Developing a robust grid infrastructure
To many, this shift from the government is viewed as it shirking responsibility or simply failing to meet its own promises. However, to confidently hit our 2050 goal, significant barriers, such as the physical structure and access arrangements of the national grid, need to be overcome. At the moment, we simply aren’t ready.

As part of the UK’s net zero ambitions, the target was to more than double existing renewable generation capacity, adding 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030, 70 GW of solar by 2035 and 24 GW of nuclear by 2050. However, despite applications for national grid connections having jumped to over 400 a year, developers are being held back due to the speed in which they can be connected to the network.

Whilst it is positive that so many more renewable energy sites are putting forward applications to be connected, our current grid infrastructure is simply unable to cope with the demand. Fundamental changes need to be made before we as a country can realise the net zero dream, but this delay allows us to develop a more robust grid infrastructure that can handle the needs and wants of the future.

Increasing grid capacity and the flexibility to accommodate different types and scales of energy generation will be vital to the UK’s ability to reach net zero, as doing so will allow for existing renewable sources to be connected, as well as those technologies and concepts that haven’t even been imagined yet. Alongside this, provisions can be put in place for heat pumps and electric vehicles (EVs), like additional electric charging points to account for the mass adoption of EVs. By slowing down, and taking a step back, the government has given itself time to address these barriers and hopefully develop the critical infrastructure required to support our energy transition and 2050 net zero commitments.

Investing in new technology
Delays also provide the opportunity to increase investment in new technologies. Whilst investment in renewable technologies is ongoing, there are concerns over its breadth and focus. Large-scale wind and solar are the most common forms of green energy; however other solutions, including small-scale embedded renewables, are often overlooked, and technologies such as wave and tidal are yet to fulfil their potential.

One of the problems with investing in new technologies is the time it takes to make projects operational and generate useable data to validate performance and prove its success. The world of investment is always looking for quick wins, so with deadlines approaching, less money has been pumped into renewables than should have been. However, with net zero targets taking longer to achieve, time is less of a factor, providing the perfect opportunity to invest in a wide range of new technologies that could make big or incremental strides towards alleviating the UK’s carbon emissions.

Large-scale wind and solar are the most common forms of green energy; however, other solutions, including small-scale embedded renewables, are often overlooked, and technologies such as wave and tidal are yet to fulfil their potential.

One area of renewable energy that warrants further investment is ‘small-scale’ renewables. Currently, renewables in the UK are mainly used in a large-scale capacity, for instance with the construction of giant offshore wind farms. However, there are a host of small-scale renewable energy systems entering the market that could provide the UK with an opportunity to make significant incremental gains towards net zero.

Distributed generation using small-scale renewables are designed to meet specific local power demands and remove the requirement for expensive grid connections and the associated project delays. Therefore, greater investment and the accelerated roll-out of small-scale renewable distributed generation solutions has the potential to contribute significantly to reducing carbon emissions and the pressure on critical grid infrastructure, which will be pivotal to the UK’s hope of reaching net zero.

Worth the setback
The U-turn on climate policies sparked concern about the UK’s ability to combat climate change. However, the pushback could quite possibly be what the country needs. Of course, there is a risk that the net zero deadline could be out of reach, but the opportunity to develop more flexible and accessible grid infrastructure and invest in distributed renewable energy solutions during this time far outweighs the setback.

Overall, the extra time means the country can invest in the best technology and improve the systems we have in place to pave the way for the future. Once this hard work has been done, implementing renewable strategies should be much easier, putting the UK on a better path towards net zero. 

The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author only and are not necessarily given or endorsed by or on behalf of the Energy Institute.