Low Carbon Energy

International Parliamentary Conference on Climate Change

Professor Jim SkeaResearch Director, UK Energy Research Centre

Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, London15 July 2010

Decarbonisation: the big picture

Power sector

Transport

Bringing it all together

The decarbonisation story…

Reducing power sector emissions: Renewables (Wind, solar, tidal and marine, biomass), nuclear, CCS

Reducing power sector emissions: Renewables (Wind, solar, tidal and marine, biomass), nuclear, CCS

Reducing heat emissions: • Energy efficiency• Behaviour change• Electric heat (e.g. heat

pumps, storage heating)• Biomass boilers• CCS in industry

Reducing heat emissions: • Energy efficiency• Behaviour change• Electric heat (e.g. heat

pumps, storage heating)• Biomass boilers• CCS in industry

Reducing transport emissions:

• Fuel efficiency• Electric/plug-in hybrids• Sustainable Bio fuels

Reducing transport emissions:

• Fuel efficiency• Electric/plug-in hybrids• Sustainable Bio fuels

Application of power to transport

and heat

Source: Committee on Climate Change

Decarbonising power

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050

Tota

l ele

ctri

city

gen

erati

on (

TWh)

Carb

on-in

tens

ity o

f ele

ctri

city

(g

CO2/

kWh)

Carbon-intensity Total generation

Therefore we need to significantly decarbonise electricity generation by 2030

Therefore we need to significantly decarbonise electricity generation by 2030

The electrification of other sectors will see demand increase in 2020s and 2030s

The electrification of other sectors will see demand increase in 2020s and 2030s

Source: Committee on Climate Change

Generic options for reducing CO2

efficiency

renewablesnuclear

fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage

bio-energy

behaviour

Renewables

Global wind capacity

Source: Global Wind Energy Council

Costs of generating power

Source: ExxonMobil

Integrating low carbon power

We built our grids, markets and regulatory systems for coal and gas generation

Need arrangements for low carbon energy that has: high capital costs low running costs

We need to cope with intermittent renewable energy

CO2 emissions – new UK cars

Source: SMMT

Incremental transport improvements

Source: ExxonMobil

Electrification of transport…mild hybrid

full hybrid

plug-in hybrid

battery electric

And don’t forget……..

biofuels

the hydrogen economy

The smart grid

Source: Wang

Technology’s contribution to a 2OC world

Source: IEA

UK Energy Research Centre+44 (0)20 7594 1574

www.ukerc.ac.uk