Page 9 - 10. Gi_Dec-Jan2019_LR

Government sets up domestic consumers.” and providing access to
a‹ordable energy.
The decision to carry out
gas storage inquiry the inquiry was welcomed underpinned by long
“Energy security is
by the Energy & Utilities
Alliance (EUA). life, capital intensive
Roddy Monroe, investments, which
THE DEPARTMENT FOR whether the costs should Independent Chair of require long term †nancial
BUSINESS, Energy and be borne by the taxpayer the EUA’s Gas Storage certainty; these are not
Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is or, ultimately, businesses Operators Group and characteristics found
to launch an inquiry into the and consumers. participant in the inquiry, in our energy market
UK’s gas storage strategy. Rachel Reeves MP, Chair said: “I †rmly believe that today. We have seen that
The BEIS committee of the BEIS Committee, there may be serious the government felt it
will examine issues around said: “As winter approaches, implications for UK energy necessary to intervene
UK gas security and gas we want to examine what security if policy makers to help deliver positive
storage, the government’s action the government rely solely on the market changes to the electricity
approach to diversity of is taking to ensure we to deliver the right level of market, such intervention
supply, and what action the can have con†dence in investment to meet broader may now be necessary for
government is taking to the security of our gas government’s objectives the gas market if we are to
ensure the supply system is supplies. We will want to including transitioning to provide the right level of
robust and secure. question industry experts a low carbon economy gas security.” ■
The evidence session is and government on the
likely to explore questions future role for gas storage Stublach underground
concerning the decision following the closure of the gas storage facility
to close the Rough gas Rough gas storage facility
storage facility and how and in the light of weather
the supply and availability events such as the ‘Beast
of the UK’s gas supply from the East’.
is evaluated, according “Given our increased
to Heating, Ventilating & reliance on gas imports, we
Plumbing. will also be asking what
The hearing is also government is doing to
expected to examine issues guard against gas shortages
around the potential for and the potential knock-on COSTAIN
future provision of new e‹ects of increased energy
gas storage facilities and costs for businesses and

Sustainable heat hots up with and loans to both the

public and private sectors,
£320m of government funding helping increase the market
share of the technology,
which experts suggest is
likely to play a key role in
THE UK GOVERNMENT has It has appointed Triple capital, which it expects to the solving the challenge of
launched the Heat Networks Point Heat Networks leverage around £1 billion decarbonising heat.
Investment Project (HNIP), Investment Management of private †nance. Heat networks distribute
which will invest £320 to deliver the scheme – the Energy Live News reports waste heat from a central
million in heat networks †rm will be responsible for that the money will be used source to a number of
across the country. allocating and deploying to provide a series of grants other customers, such as
oœce buildings or a block
of žats – the process is
highly eœcient and the
government estimates such
systems could provide
up to 17 per cent of heat
demand in homes and
nearly a quarter of demand
in public and industrial
buildings by 2050.
The scheme will open for
District heating plans applications in the autumn,
are warming up with the †rst funding decisions
expected next year. ■

9

News.indd 4 15/11/2018 14:22