Plenary Meetings

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ERP’s members meet quarterly in plenary, which provides a primary forum to discuss critical issues around UK energy RDD&D. These meetings are also used to decide on topics for future projects, consider and agree key messages and recommendations from current project work and to approve publications.

Minutes from previous ERP Plenary Meetings can be found under the previous events tab below:

Upcoming Plenary Meetings

2024

ERP plenary meeting and dinner event – Wednesday 30th  October, https://www.devere.co.uk/grand-connaught-rooms/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=local&utm_campaign=localSEO

Previous Plenary Meetings

2024

Energy Research Partnership April 2024 – Resilience of the UK Energy System

In April 2024, the Energy Research Partnership brought together key industry, academia and government stakeholders to discuss the challenge in developing a net-zero energy system as demand increases and reliance on renewable, intermittent forms of generation is growing.

Energy Networks have seen significant change over the last decade with a trend towards decentralisation of generation and, a higher dependence upon intermittent renewable generation. The increase in heat pumps and electric vehicles is forecast to help drive a 64% increase in electrical demand between 2023 and 2035, alongside growth in the hydrogen economy (ref ESO ‘Beyond 2030). Furthermore, the world is changing; from climate change inducing extreme weather events, through to an increased risk of malicious intent all impacting the resilience of energy infrastructure.

The aim of the meeting was to explore and discuss the existing steps taken to maintain resilience and supply security in the energy sector. Where are we falling short and why? What are we doing well? Why is resilience so difficult to define? An outcome of the first session was  to identify the key questions where further work needs to be done to set the direction for resilience in energy. This will  be used to draft a report for discussion at a future ERP plenary planned for October.

Energy Research Partnership February 2024 – Spatial Energy Planning

In February 2024, the Energy Research Partnership brought together key industry, academia and government stakeholders to conduct a ‘state of the industry’ review of the urgent need to upgrade the national electricity transmission network and to consider how the gas network is critical in supporting a net-zero energy system.

‘Decarbonising the power system by 2035 requires a fundamental step-change in the scale and pace of delivering new electricity network infrastructure. Network investment is critical to connect the significant volumes of new low carbon power generation required over the next decade and beyond and to support the expected 50% increase in electricity demand.’ (National Grid May 2023)

Various industry experts have identified the need to align spatial energy planning to identify what needs to be built, in which locations, and by when. This will need input from industry and fully supported by the Government policy and market flexibility to ensure it is deliverable and viable. It has been agreed that a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) will determine the most efficient locations and types of energy infrastructure needed to meet projected demand.

2023

Energy Research Partnership July 2023 – Delivering CCUS and DACCS at scale

In July 2023, the Energy Research Partnership brought together key industry, academia and government stakeholders to conduct a ‘state of the industry’ review of the progress towards capturing, storing and utilising carbon dioxide in energy generation, industrial processes and directly from the atmosphere.

The purpose of this session was to update ERP members on prevailing CCUS and DACCS deployment, weaving in some of the newer technologies, policy, regulatory aspects and commercial challenges. Understand what is stalling scale-up and how this might be unlocked to enable growth in this critical piece of the UK’s net-zero strategy. Presentations were provided by Progressive Energy/HyNet, Arup and Energy Systems Catapult.

Energy Research Partnership May 2023 – Developing a net-zero gas grid for the UK

In May 2023, the Energy Research Partnership brought together key industry, academia and government stakeholders to discuss the challenge of decarbonising the gas network in the UK. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the pathways to net-zero gas that have already been identified, prioritise the most effective and deliverable solutions and identify areas where innovation is needed to progress these technologies.

Decarbonising the gas grid is a major challenge for the UK as reducing its carbon emissions requires major infrastructure upgrades, changing the end use in industry and changing out domestic boilers. There is no one-size-fits-all method to reducing carbon emissions and increasing renewable energy in the grid. The primary methods which have been identified over the past 5 years or so are:

  • Produce methane from renewable resources, such as biomass or natural waste. The resulting fuel is typically biogas (a mixture of methane and other gases) or biomethane (resulting from the separation of methane from the other biogas components).
  • Replace the natural gas with a sustainably produced non-methane one. Hydrogen produced via water electrolysis with the help of electricity from renewable resources is an example.
  • Capturing the carbon contained in the natural gas, either before its use (pre-combustion, for example by converting it in a mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide destined for storage) or post-combustion, for instance by capturing the carbon dioxide and placing it in long-term geological storage.

There are other possible ways and means to decarbonise gas apart from the examples above. Methane emissions can be eradicated or minimised by applying a host of common-sense practices, such as preventing venting during the exploration and production of natural gas, prohibiting flaring (especially when natural gas is produced as “associated gas” along with liquid hydrocarbons), avoiding fugitive emissions from valves and compressor stations, and making sure that hydrocarbons are fully burnt.

Energy Research Partnership February 2023 – Mission Zero (the Skidmore Review)

In February 2023, the Energy Research Partnership brought together key industry, academia and government stakeholders to discuss the key findings contained within the Skidmore Review. We were joined by Henry Green, one of the team supporting Chris Skidmore in producing the report. The discussion centred around whether the report met the expectations of government, industry and academia and whether innovation in the green economy has received sufficient focus?

2022

Energy Research Partnership November 2022 – The barriers to a net-zero energy system

In November 2022, the Energy Research Partnership brought together key industry, academia and government stakeholders to Identify and discuss the barriers to achieve a net-zero energy system in the UK and how do we overcome them, particularly investment in local and national infrastructure?

Summary of the discussion and recommendations:

  • Retrofit at pace has been hindered by unrealistic deadlines exacerbated by a shortage of materials and labour. Of the 17 councils that initially received funding as part of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator, nine confirmed they did not retrofit a single property by the fund’s deadline of December last year.
  • Critical minerals shortages are expected to impact the supply chain across power generation and EV production. Shortages of microchips in the automotive sector have been well documented however, this same technology shortage has impacted the manufacture of green energy technologies including wind and solar.
  • The supply chain challenge is not just limited to availability of critical component, a skills shortage is also impacting manufacturers and installers of ‘green tech’ at all levels. McKinsey & Company have indicated in a recent survey that shortages of Craft Workers and Operatives will have the biggest impact on the UK’s ability to build low carbon and retrofit residential and commercial buildings.
  • Education and training related to STEM subjects have received some good focus over the past few years however, manual working (electrical, plumbing etc) does not have the level of school support that is required to reduce the future skills gap. This is already evident in the quoted lead times for domestic heating and insulation retrofit which are dependent upon available labour.
  • Capital markets holding £3tn in cash and assets – how can this be deployed in the energy sector over the medium to long term? There will be a requirement for these investments to be zero-downside risk which may reduce the number of viable projects.
  • Easy to understand information and advice is essential if the public are expected to adopt new ways of using energy, driving a vehicle, and travelling in general. Consumer backlash to new technologies and processes is likely if they appear not to work, customer perception is critical.
  • Local community incentives to help local energy generation projects such as onshore wind and solar. How do we overcome NIMBY (Not in My Backyard), BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Near Anything) and, most critically, CAVE (Citizens Against Virtually Everything)? Is energy price security at a local level achievable? Regarding accepted land use, Greenpeace have stated – ‘In the UK, 1,256km2 of land is used for golf courses but only 230km2 is used for solar farms. The government needs to look at planning laws and local community engagement to increase the number of solar and wind farms in the UK rather than just relying on offshore wind farms which are costly and have longer lead times.’

Energy Research Partnership July 2022 – Energy Efficiency Retrofit

In July 2022, the Energy Research Partnership brought together key industry, academia and government stakeholders to discuss progress towards reducing or eliminating carbon emissions from commercial and residential properties. In this session, ERP members discussed the challenges and potential solutions facing property owners and local authorities as they plan the future retrofit requirements for existing building stock.

The UK government has set a target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions across all sectors by 2050. There has been a major focus on reducing or eliminating carbon emissions from the energy generation and transport sectors resulting in a clear roadmap towards the net-zero target however other sectors lack a clear and decisive action plan. In this session, the ERP membership discussed and debated the action needed to reduce energy consumption and emissions in the business and residential sectors at scale. Expectation that the government will act through direct funding at scale on a long-term basis (beyond 3 years) is unrealistic. We seem to be stuck in a cycle of calls for evidence resulting in either/or solutions which struggle to gain traction resulting in lack of confidence from industry, service organisations and the public. The levelling up agenda is a potential vehicle which could help drive change and deliver long term solutions across the UK, it is most likely that the market driving government will result in a more focussed long-term plan.

Energy Research Partnership April 2022 – The power of diversity in the energy sector

In April 2022, the Energy Research Partnership brought together key government, industry and academia stakeholders to discuss how the UK could unlock the power of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to develop skills, innovation and public engagement in the energy sector. For this session, ERP Members were joined by special guests Jenny Young (Deputy Director of Strategy at the ECITB) and Jaine Fleetwood (Senior Project Manager at the Dept for Education).

The UK government has published plans for decarbonising the energy sector across the UK by 2050 through new technology roll-out, innovation, changes in policy, investment, and changes in consumer behaviour. The ERP has previously identified that behaviour change and developing skills are critical to achieving net-zero in the energy sector but diversity within the sector remains a limiting factor. By embracing diversity, equality and inclusion, the UK energy sector will be better placed to fill the skills gap, innovate new technologies and change behaviour at a peer-to-peer level. We must also consider diversity in broadest terms, including demographic, economic, geographic, gender identity, ethnicity, education pathway, health, etc.

ONS figures for Dec 21 to Feb 22 show that there are 1.32m vacancies in the UK which is a new record. This equates to 4.4 vacancies for every 100 employees. Sectors such as construction, engineering, technical services, science and education account for 40% of these vacancies. According to Doosan Babcock (Vivienne Chan – WEF 6th April 2022), a further 350,000 full time employees are needed in energy related construction by 2028 and it is expected that over 750,000 construction workers are set to retire by 2035. Can EDI help the energy sector to recruit, develop and retain the staff needed to achieve net-zero?

Diverse teams create better solutions to problems, particularly in areas such as product design and innovation. There are many published studies showing how businesses with a strong EDI culture are better at driving and innovation and creating growth. Harnessing the power of EDI will help drive new ideas that will likely be adopted by a diverse public. This approach has proven extremely successful with the Volvo Cars concept design teams.

Behaviour change is seen as one of the largest barriers to achieving net-zero particularly at consumer level. Buying an electric car, changing a heating system, changing travel habits are all seen as barriers for most people. How can we use EDI to alter people’s habits and drive real behaviour change in how people use energy?

The ERP members identified and discussed the most critical areas of the net-zero journey where diversity, equality and inclusion can play a key part in developing skills, innovation and behaviour change:

  • How do we attract more diversity into the energy sector at all ages and levels, and retain them?
  • How to we collaborate more effectively on projects and innovations required to meet Net Zero using the power of diversity?
  • How do we effectively communicate the decisions needed to get to a Net Zero Energy system, and the consumer behaviours to support it?

2021

  • Energy Research Partnership July 2021 – The challenge of decarbonising transport and travel

In July 2021, the Energy Research Partnership brought together key industry, academic and government stakeholders to discuss the challenge of decarbonising the transport and travel system across the UK. The meeting preceded the publication of the long-awaited Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP) from the Department of Transport.

The challenge of decarbonising the transport and travel sector to meet the government’s ten-point plan means that major change is required to provide innovative and ambitious solutions to significantly reduce carbon emissions from road, rail, and air transport.

There has been significant coverage in the press regarding electric vehicles (EVs) with both manufacturers and energy companies developing vehicles and infrastructure to meet this increasing demand. However over 40% of the emissions from transport and travel come from sources which cannot be reduced through EV technology and still require revolutionary change if Net-Zero in transport is to be achieved.

  • Energy Research Partnership May 2021 – Mobilising funding for local area networks

In May 2021 the Energy Research Partnership brought together key industry, government, and academic stakeholders to conduct a ‘state of the industry’ review of local area energy networks and the need for further investment funding.

The challenge of decarbonising the generation and distribution of energy to meet the government’s ten-point plan means that large scale funding may not be allocated to smaller, decentralised projects. For new and innovative local energy projects to succeed they will rely on a drastic step change from a dependency on traditional delivery and procurement models. We are delivering pilot projects and capturing some of the ‘low hanging fruit’, but are far from accelerating towards a large scale, ubiquitous, self-funding portfolio of local energy systems. Can we unlock the potential, or are local energy systems a pipe dream?

The question remains, what are the pragmatic challenges and solutions needed to unlock the potential of large scale, replicated local energy systems?

 

  • Energy Research Partnership January 2021 – Developing skills for net-zero

In January 2021, the Energy Research Partnership brought together key industry and government stakeholders to conduct a review of the challenges of developing skills and recruitment of new resources for the drive towards Net-Zero. Businesses are experiencing gaps within existing skill sets therefore is it highly likely that the new skills required for low carbon energy solutions will be in short supply. Every organisation will face differing challenges across industry, public sector, education and business support when it comes to ensuring a post-Covid, Green Recovery is driven forward towards Net-Zero by 2050. In this COP-26 year, it is imperative that the UK can show its readiness for these challenges:

  • In 2050 the UK’s electricity demand is projected to be double what it is today – from 300TWh to over 650TWh to meet the country’s energy and electrification demands.
  • Replace almost all the current ageing generating capacity and build as much again – 9-12 GW every year, for 30 years, across firm power (natural gas, nuclear and biomass) and intermittent sources (offshore, onshore wind and solar).
  • OR 48 gas units, six nuclear power stations, 66 biomass, 6250 wind turbines offshore, and four times the world’s current capacity for carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Huge energy new build task requires as many hands and brains as possible – employing and engaging the next generations is vital to get it built and on track. An ageing workforce means that hundreds of thousands of skilled technician and professional engineering roles will need replacing over the next ten years. But targeting schools and universities is one stage of the solution. Encouraging school leavers, graduates and jobseekers into local and regional employment opportunities needs a pipeline of work, and support from local authorities and councils.

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