Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2026 to Question 31002 on Thermal Energy Storage, what assessment she has made of the compatibility of the eligibility criteria for the Ultra-Long Duration Energy Storage Challenge with the Government's objective of supporting all forms of long-duration energy storage
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Ultra-Long Duration Energy Storage Challenge is a research and innovation competition run by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and is part of the £102 million Clean Energy Challenges suite under the R&D Missions Accelerator Programme. The programme is being delivered in phases. The first phase covered electrochemical storage and the second phase supports the development and testing of systems which store hydrogen underground. Depending on budget and future net-zero need, there may be future phases covering other forms of energy storage.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2026 to Question 31002 on Thermal Energy Storage, for what reason the eligibility criteria for the Ultra-Long Duration Energy Storage Challenge is restricted to electrochemical technologies.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Ultra-Long Duration Energy Storage Challenge is a research and innovation competition run by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and is part of the £102 million Clean Energy Challenges suite under the R&D Missions Accelerator Programme. The programme is being delivered in phases. The first phase covered electrochemical storage and the second phase supports the development and testing of systems which store hydrogen underground. Depending on budget and future net-zero need, there may be future phases covering other forms of energy storage.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of sand battery thermal energy storage technology; and what funding programmes are available to support pilot and commercial deployment of that technology in the UK.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department technical experts assess the potential of different energy technologies to understand their merits. There are two forms of thermal energy technology with different merits, using either “real” heat where a material is heated without a phase change, and “latent” heat where a material is melted using heat. Sand battery thermal energy storage is an example of the former technology and frequently is combined with other electricity storage technologies such as compressed air to increase efficiencies. To support development of all types of storage, the UK government and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) launched the £28 million Ultra-Long Duration Energy Storage (Ultra-LDES) Challenge on August 20th.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of heat networks in reducing electricity grid constraints.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in the Warm Homes Plan, we estimate that heat networks could save an estimated £5 to 7 billion in electricity distribution network savings alone by 2050. The department is working with industry to explore and quantify a broader range of electricity system benefits.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department plans to classify waste heat, such as that produced by data centres, as zero carbon at the point of offtake.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in the methodology for the Standard Assessment Procedure and for applications to the Green Heat Network Fund, heat recovered from commercial and industrial processes is considered to have extremely low carbon emissions. We intend to continue this approach.