I read with interest the piece by Rachel Millard and Jim Pickard on new financial support for renewable power projects (“Renewables budget raised to £1.5bn”, Report, July 31). I commend the announcement and its contribution to making Britain a clean energy superpower.
We welcome the government’s funding for new technologies like wind power. I am a firm believer in the managed transition from unabated fossil fuels to green technologies.
However, it’s vital we also point to the potential risks in our approach to decarbonising Britain’s power system, given we depend on gas to complement renewables and meet peaks in demand when the grid needs support.
To help grow wind power, we will need low-carbon gases like hydrogen to replace the functions gas meets now — and I truly believe that Britain can be a world leader in this technology.
Our gas transmission network is the backbone that makes sure our gas fuels our power stations and powers our industry. To reach clean power by 2030, we will need this to be the backbone that moves hydrogen to where it is needed. We must not lose sight of the importance of our existing gas network.
We have already tested blends of hydrogen — and most recently 100 per cent hydrogen — at a test site in Cumbria, which replicates our national gas transmission network. In doing so, we have proved that we can move this form of gas safely and effectively through our network of pipes.
I truly believe Britain can be a world leader in this technology and at the same time ensure economic advantage for the UK — with more business for businesses and more jobs for our people.
We have proved our pipes are up to the job and now it’s time to deliver.
Jon Butterworth
Chief Executive, National Gas,
Warwick, Warwickshire, UK
