Special report UK energy
A changing energy landscape
75 years in the UK industry First coal, then oil, the shift to a low-carbon future marks the third transition for UK energy systems since the EIC was formed in 1943. Jeremy Bowden looks at the effectiveness of the new power generation mix and how the country can become more self-sufficient
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s the EIC commemorates its 75th anniversary, the UK energy sector is embarking on perhaps its greatest challenge so far by moving towards decarbonisation. However, the end goal remains to ensure that energy demand efficiently meets the standards of the day. Over the past 75 years, this has involved various challenges and ongoing transformation, particularly from the late 1970s onwards. When the EIC was established in 1943, the UK relied heavily on domestic coal for power generation and heating, importing all its oil and using almost no natural gas at all – gas for heating came from city gas, normally produced from coal. As domestic coal production began to fall in the 1950s and 1960s, energy supply from abroad climbed steadily, making the country ever more dependent on imports – far more so than at any other point in the UK’s history, including today. Then came the first major transformational event, which proved to be of huge benefit for
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UK plc and British companies alike: in May 1964 the Continental Shelf Act came into force in the UK and the first offshore gas discovery, West Sole, followed shortly after in September 1965. The fields that were subsequently discovered have provided large quantities of both oil and gas for the UK and continue to do so today – improving the UK’s energy independence, balance of trade and growth levels in the process. At the same time, an ambitious programme of nuclear plant construction began, building capacity that would meet 20% to 30% of the country’s electricity demand from the early 1970s up to the present day. While that power has been reliable, and the sector largely accident-free, the cost has been inflated by the clean-up required from a period when health and safety rules – along with risk awareness – were less rigorous than today. Since then, coal has been cleaned up and now all but phased out, with gas largely taking its place in heating and power generation. State energy assets have been sold off, markets opened and deregulated. After rapid