U.K. Promises 50% Cut in CO2 Emissions by 2027

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) --The U.K. has committed to halving its carbon emissions before 2027 following the publication of its ambitious fourth carbon budget.

The rollout and development of renewable energy technologies, as well as the construction of new nuclear power plants, will play a key part in reducing the country's carbon emissions 50% when compared to 1990 levels. This will mean that net emissions for 2023-27 should not exceed 1.95 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. The new goal from the coalition government also will mean that the energy and industrial sectors will have to work harder to reduce their emissions. The 50% reduction target before 2027 is among the highest in the world, and the government said it will continue to push for a 30% reduction by 2020.

The European Union's 20/20/20 plan for its member states is that by 2020, they will reduce carbon emissions by 20% from 1990 levels, cut primary energy consumption by 20% and generate 20% of electricity from renewable energy sources.

"When the coalition came together last year, we said we wanted this to be the greenest government ever," said Prime Minister David Cameron. "This is the right approach for Britain if we are to combat climate change, secure our energy supplies for the long-term, and seize the economic opportunities that green industries hold. In the past 12 months, we have pursued an ambitious green agenda and today, we are announcing the next, historic step. By making this commitment, we will position the U.K. a leading player in the global low-carbon economy, creating significant new industries and jobs."

The government, however, has given itself an opt-out clause if it feels that its fellow European neighbours are not pulling their weight on the green front. It plans to review progress in 2014, and if its own carbon emissions targets are higher than the E.U.'s Emissions Trading System trajectory, it will revise the targets downward.

The government claimed that innovation in renewable technology will play a pivotal role in making the emissions cuts and, alongside the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), has announced funding for offshore turbine manufacturers to design next-generation blades that will measure up to 90 metres. Current blades measure between 40-60 metres, but the ETI wants blades that will have a generating capacity of 8-10 MW.

ETI Chief Executive Dr. David Clarke explained: "The U.K. has some of the best offshore wind resources in the world, but accessing this opportunity and generating electricity at competitive costs presents major engineering challenges, and we need innovation in blade and turbine design and in installation technology to keep driving costs down. It has been estimated that the U.K. has over a third of the total European potential offshore wind resource. This project is based on our earlier studies, which identified that the most cost-effective size for a horizontal axis turbine is likely to be between 8 and 10 MW, with significantly larger blades than scaling up current turbines would typically give."

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