Following the announcement of the UK’s 10-point ‘green recovery’ plan, Fisher German’s head of utilities and infrastructure Giles Lister discusses the necessary infrastructure that will be required to bring the plans into fruition.
The government has announced its plans for a ‘green industrial revolution’ with a 10-point plan which is a platform the nation can utilise as a springboard, enabling it to transition through innovation and technology into a green recovery.
To facilitate this, there will be a requirement to put in place the necessary infrastructure to connect the clean energy providers, be it wind, nuclear or low carbon hydrogen through cables, pipes or transport infrastructure.
Further consideration and a strategic approach as to how this energy will be transferred across the UK is key. There is a need to review the rights required and associated time frames against the statutory powers and consent processes currently available to ensure delivery.
As part of this strategy, consideration also needs to be given to the habitat compensation measures which will include rewilding and tree-planting to remove carbon from the atmosphere, which will be necessary to enable the progress required over the coming years if we as a nation are to achieve net zero by 2050.
The transition to a green future will involve significant grid updates to enable the energy to be transmitted across the UK, with power connections required from the coastal wind farms, nuclear power stations, and interconnectors to the grid spine to enable delivery to the DNOs (distribution network operators). Pipeline capabilities, reinforcement and use will also be subject to review as CCS (carbon capture and storage) will play an essential role in the transition to net zero.
With the announcement of the ban of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in 2030 and transitioning to zero emission freight, the transmission of power across the country will be a major focus in the coming years to ensure we have an integrated, fast-charging network in place. HS2 will certainly assist in removing freight from the road network, thereby assisting in the transfer to zero emissions.
Within Fisher German we have the knowledge and capability to play an important part in the green revolution and are already in discussions with clients in connection with their short to medium term requirements.
