Britain has burned more coal in the last seven days than at any time in nearly a year, suggesting that progress towards one of the UK’s key climate goals is stalling and illustrating the need for new commercial nuclear power, the London-based Nuclear Industry Association said on 11 January.
The NIA said figures from National Grid ESO show how fossil fuel use spiked in the last week with high demand in cold weather conditions.
Gas and coal regularly hit 60% of electricity generation. Over the same period, the nuclear fleet was the leading zero-carbon generator. However, half of this fleet of 15 plants will retire by the end of 2024, the same time coal is due to be phased out.
Coal and gas are Britain’s only firm power substitutes for nuclear power, according to the NIA. Since the scheduled nuclear fleet retirements will decrease firm power capacity, the only way Britain will be able to phase out coal and keep the lights on will be to burn more gas. “This fossil fuel dependence will lock in carbon emissions and higher prices,” a statement said.
NIA chief executive Tom Greatrex said Britain is caught in “a fossil fuel trap” and the only way to escape is to build new nuclear power stations alongside renewable capacity.
“Our existing fleet has produced more zero-carbon power than any other assets in Britain, but they are ageing and coming to the end of their service.
“Our own experience shows us that when nuclear goes offline, we burn more gas and emissions go up. So the path to net zero starts with replacing the existing nuclear fleet, and investing in a strong and balanced zero carbon mix.”
The Climate Change Committee estimated in its Sixth Carbon Budget that without new projects, zero-carbon generation will fall from 130 TWh in 2020 to just 90 TWh in 2030 because of nuclear fleet retirements.
The committee said the UK should consider 8 GW of new build to restore nuclear generation to current levels by 2035 following the retirement of existing reactors in the 2020s.
Two EPR units under construction at Hinkley Point C are the only commercial nuclear plants being built in the UK. Sizewell C is the only new-build project in the UK for which planning permission is being sought. Three projects – Wylfa, Moorside and Oldbury – have either been cancelled or shelved, largely because of financing problems, while Bradwell remains in the early technical stages.