Britain must build new gas power stations or households face higher energy bills, expert warns

Britain must invest in gas-fired power stations or risk households being hit with higher electricity bills in the future, a senior advisor on energy technology has said. Jon Saltmarsh, Chief Technology Officer at Energy Systems Catapult, the government backed body that advances clean energy innovation, said Britain would still be burning gas “well into the 2050s”. The calls come ahead of a report published today also warning gas will remain central to Britain’s energy security for decades and must not be treated as an afterthought. Author of this report, consultant Kathryn Porter, founder of energy analysts, Watt-Logic, has called for a “fundamental rethink” of UK energy policy, warning that growing reliance on imports was “increasing the country’s exposure to events outside its control”. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The news comes as the Government drive towards Net Zero leaves Britain increasingly reliant on weather-dependent wind and solar power. When the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine, back up sources of electricity must be available to step in. Green alternatives include batteries, long-duration energy storage and hydrogen, which can potentially provide low-carbon back-up power. But Mr Saltmarsh warned there were still major technological and economic hurdles to overcome before these solutions could provide back-up at the scale needed. Britain is becoming increasingly reliant on weather-dependent wind and solar power, which has led to hiked bills | GETTY Most grid batteries can currently provide electricity for hours rather than the days or even weeks that prolonged periods of low wind and sunshine can last. “There is no magical battery solution on the horizon,” he said adding that the long-term answer was gas - either natural, biomethane from farm waste or hydrogen. The challenge was illustrated this month when Britain's wind generation plunged by 95 per cent in just 24 hours. Analysis by gas networks trade body Future Energy Networks (FEN) of official National Energy System Operator (NESO) data found it was the largest 24-hour fall in wind generation across records stretching back 17 years. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Tax mistake makes 1,000s of Britons 'receive second bill' from HMRC - what you need to do Households urged to 'submit meter reading' NOW as energy bills to rise from next week Andy Burnham hints at tax rises under Labour plan to fund adult social care Gas plants are increasingly being expected to play its part as a back-up | PA Wind output dropped from 21.2 gigawatts shortly after noon on September 12 to just 1.1GW 24 hours later. As wind power collapsed, gas generation surged by 384 per cent, from 2.3GW to 10.9GW, helping to fill the gap. Gas overtook wind in the early hours and remained the larger source until early afternoon the following day. Mr Saltmarsh said: “The low wind output was an interesting event and was a record but we will see it broken again and again as wind generation increases. The amount of wind dropped, but although the system could cope with it, it is a worry for the future. During the dash for gas, we built lots of gas stations. Most will continue until 2030 to 2040, but this is about what happens after that.” Mr Saltmarsh said that because gas plants are expected increasingly to act as back-up rather than run continuously, the country may end up relying on ageing stations rather than investing in replacements. He warned this could prove a false economy as maintenance costs rise - ultimately feeding through to consumers. “If we don't think about investing in gas power stations now, we will be storing up problems for the future. You need that backup, in some form, and I worry whether companies will be incentivised to build new, or just keep repairing existing, generating gas stations.” “It is like running an old car - it goes wrong. It needs fixing. This costs money and the parts become more and more expensive, so repairs are costly.” Britain's energy bill crisis is expected to continue | GETTY “If maintenance costs go up this will cause people’s bills to go up too. For an industry, continuing to pay a little every year is easier than investing in a whole new gas station, but this is not good for the bill payer. Mr Saltmarsh said maintaining reliable sources of power was also worth the cost in an uncertain geopolitical environment. He said: “I am worried about the future. We will get around to building these eventually, but how quickly? Will we end up paying more and more for maintenance? Energy analyst Kathryn Porter said: “Gas is not going away because policymakers would like it to. We need to plan for the energy system Britain will actually have, rather than the one we might hope to have.” Ms Porter also called for greater North Sea production to lower UK energy bills. She said the cheaper domestic gas could displace more expensive imported liquefied natural gas which is shipped to Britain in tankers. The question of how Britain keeps the lights on when renewable generation falls is currently being examined by Parliament. Earlier this month the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee questioned scientists, meteorologists and energy experts about “Dunkelflaute” - prolonged periods of low wind and sunshine which can cause renewable generation to fall sharply. The committee is investigating how frequently such spells could occur, how severe they could become and how Britain should make up the resulting shortfall in electricity. James Earl, chief executive of Future Energy Networks, also called for ministers to recognise the continuing role of Britain's gas infrastructure. He said: “Gas kept Britain’s lights on earlier this month, stepping in as a record-breaking drop in wind generation saw gas scale up by almost 400% in just 24 hours. “These swings are likely to become more dramatic as Britain builds more wind capacity, underscoring how our gas network remains a vital national asset. “The unparalleled role our world class gas networks play in delivering energy security may only grow in the decades to come. “Ministers and regulators must recognise and support that role.” Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter