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Written Question
Natural Gas: Storage
Monday 24th October 2022

Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 20 September (HL2203), what plans they have to increase the UK’s gas storage capacity.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Gas storage is considered among other options in strengthening the UK’s energy security.


Written Question
Natural Gas: Storage
Tuesday 20th September 2022

Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current storage capacity for gas in the UK in terawatt-hours; and what assessment they have made of how this compares to capacity in (1) Germany, (2) Italy, and (3) France.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Great Britain has seven gas storage facilities (16.5 terawatt-hours of estimated working gas volume). Britain’s diverse source of gas supply greatly reduces reliance on natural gas storage, distinguishing it from some European countries who lack indigenous gas supply. AGSI European storage data indicates Germany has a capacity of 245TWh, Italy 193TWh and France 132TWh.

In addition, according to Rystad Energy data, Britain has the second largest import Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure in Europe, providing 401TWh regasification capacity annually compared to 273TWh/year in France, 123TWh/year in Italy and none in Germany.


Written Question
Natural Gas: Storage
Thursday 21st April 2022

Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 31 March (HL7081), how many days’ supply of gas is available in contingency emergency reserves, based on average levels of consumption.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Great Britain does not have contingent emergency storage reserves.

The UK has highly diverse sources of gas supply, made up of supplies from the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), our long-term energy partner Norway, and international markets via LNG and interconnectors to the Continent. Though gas storage provides flexibility to balance demand and supply of gas, it is not intended as a source for gas supply.


Written Question
Natural Gas: Storage
Thursday 31st March 2022

Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the UK's gas storage capacity in billions of kWh, compared with (1) Germany, (2) Italy, and (3) France.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

An assessment of the UK’s gas storage capacity is provided by Ofgem in GB Gas Storage Facilities 2021. There are no any gas storage sites in Northern Ireland. The Government does not hold publicly available datasets on British gas storage compared to European counterparts.


Written Question
Electricity Generation
Tuesday 8th February 2022

Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Distribution Network Operators’ plans to upgrade local systems will meet additional power needs should their electric vehicle and domestic heat pump targets be met by 2030.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The regulation of electricity networks is the responsibility of Ofgem as the independent energy regulator and the Distribution Network Operators. Ofgem use price controls, known as RIIO, to determine the revenues that Distribution Network Operators recover, the investment they make and the performance standards they must deliver. As part of this process, Distribution Network Operators forecast likely take-up of electric vehicles and heat pumps.

In December, the Distribution Network Operators published their final business plans for the upcoming electricity distribution price control due to commence in April 2023. Within these plans, Distribution Network Operators have committed to addressing the barriers to electric vehicle uptake and have forecast heat pump deployment that is compatible with Government’s ambition to deploy 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028. Ofgem is working to enable future changes via various mechanisms, including a Net Zero Re-Opener, whereby DNOs can seek additional funding for Net Zero related projects, such as catering for greater uptake of electric vehicles and heat pumps.


Written Question
Electricity Generation
Friday 4th February 2022

Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the additional electric power that will be needed by 2030 if their targets for (1) electric vehicles, and (2) heat pumps, are met.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government’s Net Zero Strategy sets out how electricity generation by 2030 might need to increase by around 50TWh (or 16%) compared to 2019 levels to meet growing demand, including from electric vehicles and heat pumps.


Written Question
Mathematics: Investment
Thursday 30th December 2021

Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what percentage of the annual investment in the mathematical sciences has been in pure mathematics and not invested in mathematics defined as maths of the “physical and material universe” in the past five years; and (2) what percentage of such annual investment is planned for future expenditure.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK is a world leader in Mathematics. British mathematicians publish a large volume of highly regarded work. When compared to international colleagues, British mathematicians have the 5th largest share of publications in the world. When looking at the top 1% of most cited publications, UK mathematicians are responsible for the third largest share.

Between Financial Year 2015-2016 and September 2021, UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) council the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) committed £259.9m to research grants Mathematical Sciences. This includes commitment from the Additional Funding Programme. At this time, EPSRC are unable to make a direct comparison between specific types of Mathematics.

Following the Government’s announcement in January 2020 to invest additional funding into Mathematical Sciences, UKRI has awarded around £104 million of additional funding to the discipline, over and above EPSRC’s core Mathematical Sciences Theme budget. The additional funding has covered institutes, small and large research grants, fellowships, doctoral studentships and postdoctoral awards.

On the 27 October 2021, the Government announced the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review. BEIS and UKRI will now set out how we meet the commitment to invest additional funding into Mathematical sciences in forthcoming years, as part of the allocations process.


Written Question
Electricity Generation
Tuesday 16th November 2021

Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the frequency with which Distribution Network Operators supply power outside the allowed fluctuations, and (2) the effects of such fluctuations on the safety devices on Electric Vehicle charging points.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Electricity System Operator is responsible for keeping the overall frequency and voltage of the GB electricity network within the statutory limits and publishes annual data on system excursions. Conditions on the electricity distribution network, or internal wiring at a premises, can alter the voltage at a specific Electric Vehicle (EV) charging point. EV charging points are designed to operate over wide voltage and frequency ranges. They are also fitted with internal protective devices to limit damage should excursions exceed safe limits. Should any customers have concerns about voltage management at their premises, they can raise them with their Distribution Network Operator for investigation.


Written Question
OneWeb
Monday 21st June 2021

Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 1 June (HL 257), whether OneWeb will be free to make decisions on the launchers it chooses on purely commercial grounds.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Although OneWeb will be encouraged to make use of the UK’s future launch capabilities, decisions on launches are entirely a business matter for OneWeb.


Written Question
OneWeb
Tuesday 1st June 2021

Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 26 April (HL14697), what proportion of OneWeb launches are anticipated to use small launchers; and what is their assessment of the scale of the market for small launchers sited in Cornwall and Scotland.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Launch decisions are a business matter for OneWeb. The company is aware of the UK’s ambitions to launch satellites from Cornwall and Scotland by 2022 and will be encouraged to utilise this launch capability.

Based on market analysis conducted to date by the UK Space Agency, we are confident there is a market to support planned UK spaceports in Cornwall, Sutherland, and Shetland.