Growing the Supply Chain for a Net Zero Energy System
Industry leaders agree on net zero through electrification at pinitol BEAMA event. All agreed that there were unprecedented opportunities identified for growth in the UK Energy Supply Chain, but serious issues remain. If the transition is managed with full cross industry input, integrating private finance, and clear government policy we can open pipelines of investment and improve the resilience of the UK energy supply chain. Aligning Net Zero and Energy Security is really how growth in the UK economy can be achieved.
Our panel was chaired by BEAMA CEO Howard Porter, and consisted of Alan Whitehead MP, David Joffe of the CCC, Toddington Harper of GRIDSERVE, Laura Flemming of Hitachi Energy, Richard Halsey of Energy Systems Catapult, and Jonathan Jennings of Glen Dimplex
Energy supply chain representatives, manufacturers, infrastructure developers and key stakeholders, gathered at the BEAMA annual event in Westminster to debate the growing need for policy certainty to deliver UK energy security aligned with Carbon Budget 6.
Coinciding with the announcement of the Prime Minister’s resignation the industry now faces more delay and more uncertainty surrounding energy and net zero policy.
Alan Whitehead MP, Shadow Energy Minister closed his speech stating ‘if the Energy Bill does not go through the house quickly, we will delay progress by a number of years. We need to get the Energy Bill back on track’. This statement was met with support from the audience as we seek to make rapid progress and drive inward investment into the UK.
David Joffe, Head of Carbon Budgets at the Climate Change Committee outlined in his keynote address the need to ‘unblock the politics on the delivery of a national mission on energy efficiency’.
This pivotal annual event provided an unprecedented platform for the energy system supply chain to come together in discussing the opportunities for growth in UK low carbon technology development, and current challenges in delivering progress at speed.
The supply chain needs policy certainty and a clear regulatory framework to ensure inward investment. The scale of ramp up needed and pace of infrastructure deployment to tackle the current energy crisis and ensure we meet Carbon Budget 6 is unprecedented, and the collaboration presented at the BEAMA annual event is exactly what is needed to progress the UK market.
BEAMA members and key stakeholders state:
“ Electricity is the backbone of a net zero energy system, so it essential to make the grid ready for the energy transition. Indeed, there can be no energy transition without a flexible, secure, digital, and resilient grid. After a long period of under investment, we must invest at pace in a transmission system with the capacity to integrate a greater volume of renewables and able to accommodate increased electrification of transport and heating. Finally, we must also continue to build local supply chains which can deliver the scale of developments required to achieve net zero power by 2035.”
Laura Fleming
“ Delivering Net Zero is the growth opportunity of our era. Green growth will deliver energy security, lower cost energy, and protection of our planet all at the same time. The economics are also now firmly on the side of solar energy, battery storage, and electric vehicles, so it’s time to be bold, to seize the day, look up, and deliver”
Toddington Harper
“ We at Glen Dimplex have as our purpose ‘to be leaders in the transition to a sustainable world’. I believe that to move to a sustainable future we in Beama must find ways that we can use our combined strength towards a common purpose. We must answer the question of how do we generate and transmit more energy, but critically, we must also focus with urgency on how we use less energy, how we store more energy, and how can we use energy at a better time. If we as an industry can consider these things across the broad spectrum of roles that we fulfil, then I believe that electrification can be delivered in a way that benefits everyone involved.”
Pamela Bingham
“ The energy transition has never been more critical. Both to our energy security and aspirations for growth. Our supply chains are key to delivering this and creating a smarter, cleaner future with green jobs and prosperity that builds a springboard for global competitiveness and national economic advantage.”
Richard Halsey
“ Today we had almost complete agreement on the measures needed to take forward the electrical industry to meet not zero targets. We all remain open to work with any Government to start the process of investment and change. All agreed that a clear and distinct policy of support for investment and in net zero with full industry support, would deliver the grow in our economy that is needed, deliver on high quality jobs and reduce customers bills.”
Howard Porter
