Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will take steps to accelerate the (a) clearance and (b) restoration of legacy nuclear sites.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) mission is to clean up the UK's legacy nuclear sites safely, securely, and cost effectively and release them for beneficial reuse. Due to the nature and scale of the mission, delivery remains subject to significant challenges and complexities.
The NDA works with stakeholders including government, regulators, and local communities to ensure that the decommissioning of their sites is safe, sustainable and publicly acceptable, and enables their beneficial reuse as early as possible.
An example of where reuse has already happened is the former Berkeley Technology Centre by South Gloucestershire Council.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of developing a dedicated hydrogen pipeline across Great Britain.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is assessing hydrogen pipeline transport options, including the possibility of a core network, in its strategic planning of hydrogen transport infrastructure. Hydrogen transport will be critical to the development of the hydrogen economy and to meeting our net zero ambitions and carbon budgets. The hydrogen economy will also unlock economic benefits and increase energy security and resilience. In December 2023, Government published its ambition for the first allocation round of the hydrogen transport and storage business models to support up to two storage projects at scale and associated regional pipeline infrastructure to be in operation or construction by 2030.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Health and Safety Executive’s evaluation of the safety case for blending hydrogen in the transmission network.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government remains committed to examining the case for hydrogen blending and is reviewing plans. This work aims to gather evidence on the feasibility, costs and benefits of hydrogen blending that can inform decisions on its potential role.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish his decision on whether to allow hydrogen blending into the gas transmission network.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government remains committed to examining the case for hydrogen blending and is reviewing plans. This work aims to gather evidence on the feasibility, costs and benefits of hydrogen blending that can inform decisions on its potential role.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of hydrogen blending to (a) decrease hydrogen production costs, (b) decrease wind curtailment costs, (c) scale hydrogen production and (d) align with EU plans to blend hydrogen into gas transmission pipelines.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government remains committed to examining the case for hydrogen blending and is reviewing plans. This work aims to gather evidence on the feasibility, costs and benefits of hydrogen blending that can inform decisions on its potential role.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it is his target to produce 10GW of green hydrogen by 2030; and if he will take steps to publish a roadmap for meeting this target.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This Government is focussed on getting the UK’s first low carbon hydrogen production projects built, which is why in the Autumn Budget we committed £2.3bn in revenue funding for 11 green hydrogen projects from the first Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR1). The second Hydrogen Allocation Round is now underway to support further green hydrogen production capacity. The Government is also supporting carbon capture and storage enabled hydrogen production and in October 2024 we announced up to £21.7bn of available funding over 25 years to launch the UK’s new CCUS industry.
We will publish a Hydrogen Strategy Update to the Market this winter, including further information on recent hydrogen developments and a forward look.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help mitigate the risk of thermal runaways in battery energy storage facilities.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Grid-scale batteries are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) within a framework which requires battery designers, installers and operators to take the necessary measures to ensure health and safety throughout all stages of the system’s construction, operation and decommissioning.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is considering options, including environmental permitting, to further mitigate thermal runaway risk in battery storage facilities. The Department’s officials are supporting this work.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of retrofitting heat pumps into existing gas piping in domestic properties.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Analysis conducted by Government suggests it is technically feasible to install a heat pump in around 90% of British homes currently on the gas grid, based on analysis of homes’ current energy efficiency and internal electrical limit. Practical considerations, like space availability or compliance with planning regulations, may limit where heat pumps can be installed, but the Government supports innovation to develop solutions to these challenges.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the consultation entitled Phasing out the installation of fossil fuel heating in homes off the gas grid, published on 19 October 2021, when he plans to publish his Department's response to that consultation.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government consulted on phasing out the installation of heating systems using high carbon fossil fuels in homes, businesses and public buildings in England off the gas grid during the 2020s. The Government will respond to these consultations in due course.