A new report from the National Grid shows that the increased use of renewable energy, alongside carbon capture technology, could result in carbon emissions from the UK’s electricity grid turning negative by 2033.
The National Grid laid out its plans for an ‘emissions negative’ system that would include the use of heat pumps instead of gas boilers in homes, as well as 30m electric vehicles out on the roads.
The electricity network operator claims that it would take only 13 years for net carbon emissions to drop below zero, if carbon capture technology is used in conjunction with bioenergy fuels.
The head of strategy at National Grid ESO, Mark Herring, said that there was a heavy reliance on low-carbon electricity in three of the four of the report’s most-plausible routes to achieving the UK’s net-zero carbon goal by 2050.
The National Grid is anticipating a spike in the number of renewable energy projects. This includes 1.4GW of new solar energy generation, as well as 3GW of new windpower capacity, annually until 2050.
The operator is also expecting the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, which will help balance the electricity grid by acting as smart-charging ‘batteries’. Additionally, a major transformation in consumer energy use is expected, with many homes consuming just a third of the energy used at present as a result of increased efficiency.
“Across all scenarios, we see growth in renewable energy generation, including significant expansion in installed offshore wind capacity. There is widespread uptake in domestic electric vehicles, and growth and investment in hydrogen and carbon capture technologies too,” said Herring.
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