Matthew Elson

This is interesting. John Pettigrew, CEO of National Grid, says Heathrow's power supply had n+2 resilience. So, why the hell didn't Heathrow have a power fail-over plan: how to bring up each critical operational system within, say 1 hour, and keep this vital piece of international infrastructure working. Seems incredible in this day and age. Resilience requires investment - in terms of management time and resources. https://lnkd.in/gNXxhmr7

129

29 Comments

The UK Climate Change Committee's 7th carbon budget says hydrogen will "play a small but important role, particularly in industrial sectors... however, we see no role in buildings heating and only a very niche, if any, role in surface transport." #HydrogenLadder for the win. https://lnkd.in/ga2vTTHv

245

47 Comments

At a time when significant investment is needed to deliver the UK Government’s clean power mission, today’s decision not to move forward with zonal pricing is important: it reduces uncertainty and risk for developers ahead of the next renewables auction, making it possible to invest at a lower cost for consumers. As one of the UK’s largest developers and power generators, this is especially important for us. In the UK and all of our markets we share a common objective: shaping and rebuilding the energy system as cost-efficiently as possible. Reforming the national market, including grid charges, to ensure there are clear, enduring signals for generation to be located in the right place can deliver the desired efficiencies, with minimal disruption during this period of significant investment and change.    We look forward to constructively supporting the UK Government’s reform of the national market.

579

13 Comments

Great news on renewables from China! And congratulations to the team who were involved in the UK energy white paper 2011 that made it happen! Jonathan Brearley Simon Virley CB FEI Fourteen years on, and the UK’s electricity market reform is being copied across the world. The International Energy Agency has just reported that China is the latest country to have adopted the UK’s pioneering model for support of variable renewables (solar and wind). The key advantage of “contracts for difference” is that they provide certainty to investors in getting projects built, because the government backs a fixed price for their output. (The government guarantees to pay the developer when the price falls below the market price, but also recoups any excess over the market price). This is particularly important when finance costs are crucial because the up-front capital spending cost is enormous. However, there is also a key advantage for taxpayers because businesses have to bid as low as possible- in a Dutch auction - to win the fixed price contract.                   This market mechanism – auctioned cfds – began in Britain, spread throughout Europe (as the preferred scheme of the EU Commission), and has now arrived in Beijing. It has played a crucial role in driving down the cost of both wind and solar (along of course with good cut-throat capitalist competition, some of it subsidised by the Chinese communist party). Contrary to the industry’s squeals at the time, it laid the foundations for a truly competitive renewables industry. Incentives matter! Here is the IEA Renewables report 2025: “Competitive auctions are now the main procurement mechanism of global utility-scale renewable deployment, accounting for almost 60% of gross capacity additions expected during 2025-2030 – up from less than 25% in the 2024 forecast. This marks a major shift from last year’s analysis, when feed-in tariffs and premiums were still the dominant mechanism (but now they represent just 10% of growth). Unlike feed-in tariffs and premiums, where the government sets offtake prices, competitive auctions let developers bid for the level of remuneration they receive, ultimately leading to lower costs.”                   I usually roll my eyes when some bombastic Brit says, in that awful phrase, that “we punch above our weight”, but this is a real example of UK thought leadership travelling around the world. How many other British policies end up being adopted (so far) by a quarter of humanity?

21

1 Comment

Proud of my team at National Grid Electricity Distribution and the role we play in enabling clean growth in our regions. 📣 We've launched a multi million pound project to connect the UK's largest EV battery factory, which will create 4,000 green tech jobs. 🚘 Set to open in Somerset in 2026, the production facility - run by Tata Group's global battery business Agratas - aims to supply almost half of the batteries needed by the UK's automotive industry by the early 2030s. Read the full story here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e9xaNuH3

280

5 Comments

Ofgem’s ambition to make energy the UK’s leading sector for customer service sets a high bar, and a clear challenge, for suppliers. The organisations that come out ahead will be those investing early in the capabilities that truly put customers at the centre. We’ve previously explored what this shift really demands of the industry. It’s clear that the path to five-star service relies on more than meeting today’s expectations, requiring a rethink of how customers are supported, engaged, and understood. Key themes from our article below: 1️⃣ Integrated, real-time support should become the norm 2️⃣ Personalisation is no longer optional 3️⃣ Feedback loops need to drive continuous improvement 4️⃣ AI should enable proactive, not reactive, service 5️⃣ Culture and leadership make the difference If you’re looking to build a customer-centric approach that meets Ofgem’s expectations and creates commercial value, the full article is worth a read. Full article: https://bit.ly/4hrPg9G #Energy #Utilities #ConsumerConfidence

63

Great to welcome Audiebant to the NPIF II portfolio. We're all really looking forward to working with Josh Dean, Ian Rose and the team. Lancashire-based Audiebant have an amazing suite of products that answer a growing challenge. They specialise in mass communication and public safety systems that keep people safe in crisis situations or emergencies. Founded in Kirkham, the company provides a range of solutions to ensure critical announcements and messages reach the public in extreme circumstances, such as freak weather or terrorism attacks. The company also has use cases for non-critical events, such as safety broadcasts or crowd control during sporting events and music festivals. Audiebant cuts through, ensuring mass communication through audio networks, mobiles, PCs and outdoor tech (including digital displays). This is becoming increasingly important for public safety and is necessary for events companies and venues, following new legislation. Thanks to everyone who worked on the deal including Peter Carway, Laurence Tan, PhD., Gateley Legal, Alvarez & Marsal, Beyond Law Group. Thanks to Sue Barnard and the British Business Bank North of England team for their continued support. Read the full story in Insider Media: https://lnkd.in/gvX74zfd #VC #Investment #NextInTheNorth #NPIFII

48

1 Comment

Innovation in the UK Climate Tech sector is alive and well, as our Net Zero Future 50 report shows. We could have filled the report many times over with exciting young UK companies with new solutions that can drive efficiency and decarbonisation. We wanted to shine a light on the technologies that are coming through and the entrepreneurs that are working hard to make them a reality. And forward-looking investors will find this particularly interesting as in here are the VC deals of today but also the big PE and Infra deals of tomorrow. The Government has rightly identified Clean Energy Industries as a priority sector in its #IndustrialStrategy Green Paper. Innovators such as these need a thriving system of informed but risk-taking investors, consistent policy frameworks and accessible routes to market in order to reach commercial scale. If the Industrial Strategy can help provide those things, companies such as those identified in our report could have a material impact not only on decarbonisation, but also on the UK’s growth agenda. https://pwc.to/4jLL1pL James Pincus Emma Milner Vicky Parker Gary Olney Ed Irwin Simon Oates Tim Allen Pragya Jain Rachel Taylor Jason Higgs Isabelle (Issy) Gross PwC UK #ClimateTech #NetZero #PwCNetZeroDeals

90

7 Comments

Network Rail’s latest efficiency report tells a curious story: £325m saved through operational efficiencies. Yet still £243m worse off financially. For SMEs in the rail supply chain, the message is clear: efficiency alone isn’t enough. Buyers are under pressure, and contracts will increasingly reward those who can prove value, manage risk, and deliver with certainty. It’s a challenging climate, but also one where agile, innovative SMEs can stand out by showing not just capability, but cost discipline, track record and resilience. We’ve unpacked the detail here on our platform Rail Industry Connect – a great source of industry news and insights: 👉 https://lnkd.in/e8PqhSKA #rail #supplychain #SMEs #efficiency #infrastructure

14

People often hear me say that net zero solutions, decarbonising industry and addressing planetary boundaries, are increasingly driving commercial opportunities as we recognise the cost of inaction exceeds the cost of action. Today we can see some analysis on the economic contribution of “going green” to the UK economy. Including supply chains, the sector is adding £83.4 billion and 951,000 jobs across the UK, with higher than average wages. Climatetech isn’t just about greenhouse gas emissions, often it’s about delivering solutions that are just better – cheaper, accessible, secure, flexible… let’s keep at it. #netzero #climatetech #growthandinnovation https://lnkd.in/exTeV-tz

63

4 Comments