The Committee’s report on long-duration energy storage concludes that the Government must act fast to ensure that energy storage technologies can scale up in time to play a vital role in decarbonising the electricity system and ensuring energy security by 2035. Long-duration energy storage can reduce curtailment of renewables and grid congestion.
A strategic reserve of electricity storage is a critical investment to secure the UK’s energy supply against future shocks, but the Government is still equivocating over whether it is necessary to invest in one. Since 2023, the Government has had a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The combination of renewables with energy storage will enable the UK to build an economy insulated from dependence on volatile energy markets and imported fossil fuels. But storage isn’t just about batteries.
Long-duration energy storage can reduce curtailment of renewables and grid congestion. This can bring down electricity costs and allow a greater amount of cheap renewable power to be integrated into the system.
Long-duration energy storage is critical for ensuring the UK can have both, so it must be a key priority for the Department. The Government says it wants to deploy enough storage both to balance and to decarbonise the electricity system by 2035, but we are not on track.
Since 2023, the Government has had a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Long-duration energy storage is critical for ensuring the UK can have both, so it must be a key priority for the Department.