Britain May Confront Energy Shortages
Posted on: January 31st, 2008 by Emma YoungThe UK may face an energy shortage in electricity generation within five to seven years according to a new report.
Energy and environment consultancy firm Inenco came out with a report that says the number of nuclear and coal plants coming out of service over the period makes shortages likely.
Old coal plants have been running more than expected because of higher gas prices. Their operating hours have been cut in light of new European legislation.
However, other analysts say new plants can be built quickly and shortages avoided.
Earlier this month, the government announced it was prepared to approve applications to build new nuclear reactors. They anticipate it would take 10 years before they came on stream.
“With the recent announcement about new nuclear stations, there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief,” states Inenco’s deputy managing director Michael Abbott.
“We believe that demand overtakes supply somewhere between 2012 and 2015, creating a serious ‘generation gap’.”
In its report, Inenco warns that in the extreme case, shortages could materialise around the time of the London Olympics in 2012. The report will be released in its entirety later this week.
By 2012, the last of the ageing fleet of Magnox nuclear reactors will have closed.
More importantly, a number of older coal-fired stations may also have closed.
www.inenco.com
