Decarbonisation

  • Business supply and services

    Business net zero: Making progress in a challenging economy

    In light of the financial pressures faced by enterprises from rising inflation and interest rates, tight supply chains and labour markets, alongside high energy bills, this paper investigates to what extent decarbonisation is still a priority for corporates and how progress towards net zero has been impacted by recent developments....

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Co-location, co-location, co-location

    As the UK transitions to net zero, the energy generation mix will become increasingly dominated by intermittent renewable generators, thus promoting a need for greater flexibility within the energy system. Setting up a new site, especially for storage assets, is currently a long and often costly process. Co-location is where...

  • Business supply and services

    Addressing the cost of electrification

    This report outlines the challenges that energy intensive industries (EIIs) face in decarbonising their heat supply, (currently dominated by natural gas) by switching to grid-supplied electricity. The paper has been sponsored by the Confederation for Paper Industries (CPI) and therefore has a particular focus. However, many of the challenges highlighted...

  • Net zero corporates and ESG

    Unlocking net zero strategies for business

    An increasing number of businesses are looking to reduce their emissions and become sustainable to align with the government’s net zero strategy. Setting targets is crucial for companies with complexity across sectors, technologies and business structures. This paper, in partnership with Shoosmiths, explores the potential routes to decarbonisation that businesses...

  • Net zero corporates and ESG

    An equitable transition to net zero

    This paper addresses one of the fundamental issues in the transition to net zero: how to resolve the accrual of national decarbonisation benefits with the imposition of regional network costs through distribution charges. It examines this through the lens of North Scotland, where the tension between these two forces is...

  • Business supply and services

    Industrial decarbonisation key for UK low carbon hydrogen

    Hydrogen has an important role in decarbonising the industrial sector; simultaneously, industries need to redesign and reinvent their processes to use hydrogen. Low carbon hydrogen should be adopted in applications with maximum emission reduction potential to maximise its decarbonisation potential. Read here Training on Net zero transition: Low carbon heat...

  • Home supply and services

    The role of connected homes in achieving net zero

    A connected home is defined as one with multiple integrated devices that can be automated and easily controlled to create a safe, convenient, and comfortable environment. The largest companies operating in the connected home sector are the technology majors such as Amazon, Google and Apple, but there are also many...

  • Low carbon generation

    Four technologies to reach net zero

    There is no single technological fix to resolve the climate crisis. Instead, a range of technologies must be developed and deployed at scale to tackle the vast challenges associated with the deep decarbonisation of the economy. This report will cover a few of those technologies, including carbon capture, hydrogen, floating...

  • Heat networks

    Who pays for supporting the net zero transition

    The costs of decarbonising the power system have mainly been funded through consumers’ electricity bills. In 2020-21 these costs amounted to £10bn with the expectation that support for low carbon generation will continue to be necessary. If we are to maintain a trajectory to net zero carbon emissions at 2050,...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Optimal coordination of active network management schemes with balancing services markets

    WSP, Cornwall Insight and Complete Strategy are undertaking a Network Innovation Allowance (NIA) funded project on behalf of National Grid Electricity System Operator (NG ESO) and Western Power Distribution (WPD). The project is investigating the optimal coordination of Active Network Management (ANM) schemes on both the distribution and transmission networks...

  • E-mobility and low carbon

    Leading the charge! Fleet charging – a catalyst for the EV revolution

    PwC & Cornwall Insight have partnered to better understand and explain the rapidly evolving market for fleet electrification. Fleet charging has the potential to revolutionise EVs. It has the scale to accelerate the adoption of EVs across the UK, improve air quality, lower noise pollution and ultimately play a critical...

  • Heat networks

    The future of UK heat networks – critical comparisons with European markets

    The UK faces a variety of challenges in terms of tackling heat decarbonisation and implementing effective, low-risk options to serve toward meeting 2050 targets. Carbon produced from heat is the single largest contributor to overall emissions in the UK, at 37% of the total per year. Heat networks may have...

  • E-mobility and low carbon

    Electric Vehicles: ‘Driven to Disruption’?

    The electrification of road transport is rising swiftly up the policy agenda. It will have profound impacts across the electricity value chain. This paper explains and evaluates the electricity supplier offerings emerging for electric vehicles (EVs), driven largely by consumer demand, and how policy and regulatory frameworks need to adapt...

  • Low carbon generation

    Turn up the volume: reinventing CfD auctions

    We argue that changes to the CfD regime should be closely examined to address several limitations in the targets, timings and integration of the auctions with the wider energy system and market landscape: The current approach does not ensure that CfD procurement meets the UK’s decarbonisation trajectory;Investors do not have...