On 7th April 2022, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) published the British Energy Security Strategy in response to global energy price rises and concerns around security of supply. Highlights include:
- 50GW of offshore wind by 2030, supported by an accelerated planning process (an additional 10GW to the existing target).
- 24GW nuclear capacity by 2050, to deliver a quarter of energy demand (made up of small modular reactors).
- Doubling the ambition for low carbon hydrogen production, to 10GW in 2030 (with at least half from electrolysis).
- Supporting UK oil and gas, to ensure a new lease of life for the North Sea in low-carbon technologies (including electrification and clear signals on the role of gas in transition).