Issue 12 | 2020 in British Electricity

2 Durham Energy Institute Perspectives

2020 in British Electricity :

A review of the British Electricity mix in 2020 by MyGridGB and Durham Energy Institute

Dr Andrew Crossland, MyGridGB and Associate Fellow, Durham Energy Institute Prof Jon Gluyas, Executive Director, Durham Energy Institute Brian Matthews, Director, Terraursa

Since 2014, MyGridGB has tracked the real time changes in British electricity generation. In this DEI Perspectives article, we look at what could well be a turning point in our decarbonising power system.

Highlights from 2020: o British electricity carbon intensity has more than halved in a decade and continued to drop in 2020. o 2020 was the first year to see more than 6 months with no British coal power stations online. o Increase of EVs and electrification of heating will lead to an increase in demand for low-carbon electricity. o Wind output reached record levels in 2020. For the first time ever, wind provided more than a fifth of British electricity and outstripped nuclear power. o Nuclear contributed 10% less power in 2020 however there is uncertainty as to whether this trend will continue through 2021 and into the future.

Figure 1: British Electricity Mix in 20201 Continued Decarbonisation through in 2020, with the lowest The rise of wind continues, but electricity demand in at least a solar remains dampened The carbon intensity of electricity decade. Reducing electricity has more than halved in a Wind output reached record levels demand is critical for carbon decade. This trend continued in in 2020. For the first time ever, emissions as it has an immediate 2020, falling to around wind turbines provided more than effect in reducing the use of fossil 220gCO2/kWh. UK electricity a fifth of British electricity and also fuel power stations. As such, generation still has some way to outstripped nuclear power for the efforts to increase the efficiency of go to meet a carbon intensity first time. The commissioning of lighting and appliances are critical target of 100gCO2/kWh by 2030. new turbines led to wind in our fight against human- producing more than 54TWh. Three factors are reducing carbon induced climate change. Wind plays a major role in our emissions – reducing use of fossil fuel power stations, decreased demand and increasing renewable generation. The dramatic fall in the use of coal captures the public’s attention and just 1.7% of British electricity came from coal power stations. The statistics around coal power are astounding when we remember that 43% of British electricity came from coal just 8 years ago. It feels like only yesterday when Britain saw its first coal free hour of electricity back in 2016. Last year was the first to see more than 6 months 2 with no British coal power stations Figure 2: Electricity mix in 2019 and illustrative electricity mix in 2050 online. This is expected to be zero electricity sector- pushing gas and The focus of British by 2025 as the last of the coal coal power stations offline. This decarbonisation is increasingly power stations close (Drax, West trend is set to continue with new shifting to heat and transport. Burton A, Ratcliffe on Soar and ambitious targets in wind energy Transport alone contributed 34% Kilroot). growth outlined by the of our carbon emissions in 2019. Government Energy White Paper. Electric cars and electric heat may This includes a four fold increase Last year was the well drive up demand for low in offshore wind to 40GW by first to see more than 6 carbon power. As such, an 2030. months with no British coal increased focused is needed on power stations online. This is identifying alternative ways of Limited growth in solar power expected to be zero by 2025 as the last of the coal power meeting our demand for energy. meant that the sector was stations close” Work on geothermal heat and relatively stable in terms of heat storage are just two electricity generated. Renewed examples of promising technology support for solar to provide long The demand for electricity has research to address this. term investment security is critical been falling year on year since at to return the sector to growth – least 2012. That trend continued particularly since solar can have such an acute impact on domestic the void filled by closing coal also begin to shape electricity energy poverty across our power stations. Since then, wind consumption to the production country. Guidance by the and solar output reduced the use from renewable electricity – Microgeneration Certification of coal leaving the gas sector reducing the need for gas to fill Scheme (MCS) has shown how relatively untouched. the gaps! solar can reduce domestic electricity bills between 30% and 50% without a battery, and by up to 80% with a battery.

Renewed support for solar to provide long term investment security is critical to return the sector to growth – particularly since solar can have such an acute impact on domestic energy poverty across our country”

A significant fall in gas use For the first time since the advent of major renewable electricity, in 2020 it was gas that started Figure 3: British Electricity yearly change in generation mix 2012 to 2020 bearing the brunt of renewable energy growth. With coal What is now significant is that a Let’s also not forget that hydrogen providing less than 2% of British number of factors may start to see trials and an upcoming ban on electricity, this is a timely gas use fall. Government combi boilers in the UK looks milestone as our focus shifts very commitment to wind power now likely to dimmish the role of gas in quickly to gas as the major high looks set to push gas power our homes. carbon fuel on the grid. Although stations off of the grid when the demand for electricity was wind blows. supressed in 2020, the statistics A challenging 2020 for Nuclear There’s increasing international show that low carbon energy evidence of battery storage plants Extended shutdowns of some of provided more electricity than displacing gas peaker plants – Britain’s nuclear power stations ever before and started to due to the lower costs and longer meant that nuclear contributed squeeze gas off the grid. life of battery storage facilities. less electricity in 2020 than at any It must not be forgotten that gas Gas Peaker plants are power time over the past twenty years. plays a vital role in generating plants designed to balance the Nuclear contributed 10% less electricity when renewable power fluctuating power requirement in power in 2020 a reduction of 5.34 stations are at low output. There the electricity network and operate TWh to 47.34 against 2019 52.68 is never a time when gas power during periods of high level and a big drop from 63.9TWh in stations are not used and they demand for electricity or shortfalls 2017 (the equivalent of having 2 provide a baseload of energy to of electricity supply. power stations offline). Extended keep our lights on. The use of gas Increasingly flexible demand, shutdowns (outages) for graphite actually increased in 2016 to fill such as smart EV charging, may core inspections in 2019 continued into 2020. However, the series of closures over the next The UK governments Energy nuclear regulator permissioned decade. There is a risk that this White paper confirmed the the restart of these reactors at reduction will be partially replaced ambition to further support at least Hunterston B and Hinkley Point B. by gas until sufficient wind, solar one more large nuclear power Dungeness B continued its and new nuclear comes on line, station, development of a UK extended outage focused on which could see emissions designed small modular reactor steam pipework replacement. increase from the power sector. and a target for a commercially Sizewell B was asked to reduce viable fusion reactor by 2040. However in January 2021 load by 50% following a contract Supplementing this, EDF have Sizewell B has announced its agreement from the 7th of May till develop a European Pressurised ambition to extend the power the 24th of September to support Water Reactor (EPR) design station’s life by 20 years which grid stability requirements. centre to support future new could see it running until 2055 if nuclear builds. Long term nuclear achieved. generation scenarios show between 15-20GW of nuclear capacity by 2030, and more than doubling of the sector by 2050. It will take serious growth in nuclear power plant construction to achieve that target.

There is still work to be done to reduce the whole cost of nuclear and factor in the opportunities for cogeneration, including the production of hydrogen and how grid stability will be achieved, if new cheaper nuclear doesn’t come on line soon as the UK Figure 4: Nuclear capacity in the UK- operating, in construction and moves towards reducing its gas planned, 1956-2035 use.

Following this the ESO created a new turndown service, which pays What does the future hold? Future Gazing – Using Carbon embedded generators to curtail Capture and Storage to output. This has seen less than Future Gazing - New Nuclear Decarbonise Hydrogen 5GW of nuclear capacity Power Stations Production throughout 2020. Sizewell B by Brian Matthews, Director, by Professor Jon Gluyas, Durham confirmed it ambition to extend Terraursa Energy Institute the power station’s life by 20 year which will see it running until 2055 The construction of Hinkley point The development of both Carbon if achieved. C (HPC) continued successfully Capture and Storage (CCS) and Looking into 2021 the first of the despite the challenges of COVID- hydrogen are often thought to be Advanced Gas Cooled reactors 19. This will add 3.2GW of low independent. Several initiatives (AGR) will come to the end of carbon electricity to the grid (the have been launched over the their lives and move into defueling equivalent of 3 of the stations previous decades in CCS but all and decommissioning, starting a currently operating). have failed in large part because of shifts in government (HyNet in Liverpool, Net Zero geothermal delivery remains small expenditure which have seen Teesside, Drax CCS on the in the UK, there have been some manifesto commitments to Humber, Thames) and Wales very positive and important develop CCS set aside. (South Wales Industrial Cluster) developments in the last two have declared their intention to years which are shifting focus on Hydrogen can be produced via capture and store CO2 from their this technology. In Cornwall, electrolysis of water. Whilst this is power and other industries and Geothermal Engineering’s United a clean process in itself, to be so- the UK government has pledged Downs project saw the drilling and called “green” hydrogen, it must an initial £850 million of support to testing of deep geothermal wells use renewable electricity, this bring the first few projects online. including a production well to option has challenges to 5,275m into a hot granite with the overcome with scale-up and also As a result, now seems a realistic aim of using the heat to produce putting an increasing strain on the probability of carbon dioxide being steam and thus zero carbon electricity system. Currently most injected to offshore storage sites electricity. Geothermal hydrogen is produced through within the next 5 years. It could be Engineering with partners Thrive, natural gas reformation, a process that shifting the narrative of CCS Cornwall Council and the which produces the cheapest form to one with hydrogen production is European Union Regional of hydrogen but directly emits a one of the most important to have Development Fund will deliver the highly pure stream of CO2. It is occurred in recent years. first geothermal power station in reasonably straightforward to the UK. retrofit this process such that this CO2 can be stored or utilised. Future Gazing - Geothermal Elsewhere and especially in the Energy NE of England (Durham, This opportunity would yield low- by Prof Jon Gluyas, Executive Gateshead and other local carbon hydrogen built as an Director, Durham Energy Institute councils) are turning to their old extension to existing energy and and abandoned coal mines to With significant gains already hydrogen infrastructure and deliver low grade sustainable low made in decarbonising UK supply chains. As such, there is carbon heat for space heating. electricity there is strong now serious interest in deploying Wells have been drilled at Stanley agreement that a significant CCS in this way enabling low near Durham and in Gateshead to challenge still remains in carbon hydrogen to be test the heat delivery potential and decarbonising heating. Much of synthesised in the UK. at Seaham on the Durham coast Government policy has focused work has begun to build 1,200 Another potential opportunity on switching from gas produced homes that will be heated by comes from the integration heat to electrification of heating taking heat out of the water in the upstream of biomass or waste combined with an increase in old flooded mines. With 25% of products and passing them renewable electricity. However, to UK home built in former coal through a gasifier to produce avoid over burdening our mining areas, the opportunity for syngas (a gas mixture composed electricity grid in future, more using this enormous heat source of methane and hydrogen & focus is needed on direct heat to decarbonise heating in the UK others), which can be reformed to options such as waste heat is massive. Deployment of low yield hydrogen. If combined with capture, heat storage, heat grade heat from flooded mines as CCS, this has the potential to offer networks and geothermal energy. well as from industrial waste heat a significant and scalable pathway will go a long way towards to net-negative CO2 emissions. Geothermal energy may have the decarbonising heat in the UK, potential to help meet the currently our biggest source of A growing number of consortia in increasing challenges of greenhouse gas emissions. Scotland (Acorn project), England decarbonising heat. Although References

1 MyGridGB https://www.mygridgb.co.uk/last-12-months/

2 2019 UK greenhouse gas emissions, provisional figures (March 2020) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/87548 5/2019_UK_greenhouse_gas_emissions_provisional_figures_statistical_release.pdf

3 UK Energy White Paper (Dec 2020) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-white-paper- powering-our-net-zero-future

4 Special feature – Nuclear electricity in the UK https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/78965 5/Nuclear_electricity_in_the_UK.pdf

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