As the UK continues its journey towards net zero, our latest Bryt Insight looks at some promising news for low carbon fuels and renewable electricity. We’ll also break down some of the latest reports and analysis for the energy industry and find out what it means for you.

Before getting into this month’s updates, we know the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) and the coming winter is still at the forefront of businesses’ minds. The EBRS legislation came into force on 1^st November and you can find the rules, guidance and scheme documents on the Government’s website, here. You can also find the full regulations of the scheme, here.

We’ve also put together a number of resources to help you understand how the scheme works and what help is available. You can find out more information about EBRS, including eligibility requirements, in our full statement, here. We have also put together a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions around the scheme that you may find helpful, here.

Plans for a new green hydrogen plant have been announced by Statkraft¹. Traditionally produced using fossil fuels, hydrogen at the Trecwn Green Energy Hub will be extracted from water in a process powered by fully-renewable electricity.

It’s hoped the plant will lead the way in making low carbon fuel for businesses in Wales, enabling buses, HGVs, trains, and industrial firms to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Statkraft, our parent company, hopes the plant will generate around three tonnes of green hydrogen a day, powered by electricity from three wind turbines and ground-mounted solar panels that will be part of the Trecwn site. This would be enough to run a single bus for more than 40,000 miles every day, or the equivalent of making 350 journeys from Fishguard to Cardiff – without producing the emissions associated with traditional fuels.

On a wider environmental scale, the project would help support the Welsh government’s net zero target, which includes producing the equivalent of 70% of electricity consumption in Wales through renewable sources by 2030.

As well as the environment, the proposed hub would give a significant boost to local businesses. Hydrogen generated at Trecwn is intended to be used to power trains running on railway lines west of Swansea, delivering many of the benefits of electrification, such as using a zero carbon fuel, but at much lower cost and with fewer requirements for new infrastructure.

Statkraft hopes to submit the plans by the end of 2023, which could mean the site becoming operational by the end of 2026.

For more information on this exciting new project, click here.

Analysis by Carbon Brief has shown the UK’s gas imports could have been 13% lower over the past decade if the Government had not cut support for energy efficiency and renewables². The report shows if the UK Government had not cut the “green cap” starting in 2013, a total of 65 TWh of imported gas could have been avoided which would have saved around £5 billion.

The figures do however emphasise the positive impact renewables have had in the UK. They show that without the growth in renewables the UK would have needed to double the 254 TWh of gas used to generate electricity last year. This demonstrates that with the right support, renewables can effectively reduce the UK’s reliance on gas imports, which is good news for sustainability and system resilience.

To see the full analysis, click here.

Changes in individual behaviour will be required in order to achieve the UK’s net zero goals, according to the House of Lord’s Environment and Climate Change Committee³. The report says nearly a third of the emissions reductions required up to 2035 will have to come from the public making more environmentally friendly choices – such as adopting low carbon technologies, products and services, and reducing carbon-intensive consumption. It calls on the Government to do more to bring about the change in mindsets. The report recommends leaders follow examples of where it has enabled the necessary behaviour changes before in areas such as travel, diet, consumption and energy usage. Other recommendations to the Government included launching a public engagement campaign to help people be more energy efficient.

When asked last month to outline its approach to encouraging behaviour change, the Government pointed to its October 2021 net zero strategy, which outlined six principles that applied to businesses, including SMEs, as well as the public. Those principles were:

• sending clear regulatory signals,
• making the environmentally friendly choice the “easiest” and most affordable,
• empowering businesses to make their own decisions,
• explaining why major changes are necessary,
• presenting a clear vision of how we will get to net zero and
• explaining what the role of businesses and people will be.

At Bryt Energy, behaviour change and the idea of ‘good grid citizenship’ is something we strongly believe in. Chris Curry, Head of Energy Transition at Bryt Energy, commented: “Achieving a net zero system is about mindsets as well as technology. In a net zero system, we’ll all need to be more responsible in our energy usage and see ourselves as engaged ‘citizens’, rather than simply energy consumers. ‘Good grid citizenship’ is about only taking what’s needed and thinking of the grid as something that is shared, with users contributing to its reliable and affordable operation so that it works for everyone.”

• For the first time in its history, Greece ran its electricity system entirely on renewables for five hours last month⁵. It used solar, wind and hydroelectric power to cover 100% of its demand for that period of time on Friday, October 7^th. In good renewables news closer to home, UK wind generation hit a new record on October 26^th, with 19.94GW being produced on that day. Additionally, experts believe this record could be broken repeatedly over the next few years as more wind farms come online⁶.
• Meanwhile, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has called on ministers to harness the full potential of geothermal energy. It says the source, which is the energy stored beneath the surface of the Earth, has the potential to fulfil much of the UK’s heating demand⁷.

Bryt Energy’s Sustainability Manager, Jos Mister, said: “We’re delighted to be able to report on stories so frequently that show renewable electricity going from strength to strength in the UK and around the world. Whether it’s increased availability of wind or solar power or new investments in renewables, these are all encouraging signs that we hope continue.”

• Wildlife campaigners are hoping stark figures outlined in the WWF’s latest Living Planet Report will act as a wake up call for leaders. The report reveals nature degradation is happening more rapidly and more intensely than previously thought, with the population sizes of animals (excluding insects) having decreased by an average of 68% between 1970 and 2020⁸. It’s hoped the report will encourage policy-makers to take further action as they meet at the UN Biodiversity Conference in December.

If you have any questions on how any of the updates might affect your business, our team of experts is on hand to answer them. You can get in touch with us on 0330 053 8620 or at heretohelp@brytenergy.co.uk.