Britain facing 'generating gap'

MPs warn nuclear will not cover all Britain's energy needs

Sunday, 16, Apr 2006 12:00

Britain cannot rely solely on nuclear power stations to provide electricity, MPs has warned.

In a new report, the Commons environmental audit committee today says the UK will need more gas-fired power stations to avoid widespread energy shortages.

The conclusions of the government's energy review, due later this year, are widely expected to herald a return of nuclear energy. But the committee thinks there will be a "generating gap" because of the time taken to set them up.

Almost a quarter of Britain's energy plants are due to be decommissioned within the next ten years, and the first nuclear power plants would be working in 2017, but the committee warns the nuclear network would not reach its full generating potential until 2030.

"Over the next nine years, therefore, very substantial investment in new generating capacity and energy efficiency will be required if the lights are to stay on," it says.

The shortfall in energy supply would have to be supplemented by more gas-fired power stations and the increased growth of renewable energy such as wind power, the MPs add.

Liberal Democrat energy spokesman David Howarth, a member of the committee, said: "We must make urgent and rapid progress on renewable fuels, micro generation and carbon capture to prevent catastrophic climate change, rather than wasting money on nuclear."