Fells
Associates
Embargoed until 00.01am Wednesday
17thSeptember
PRESS RELEASE
ENERGY CRISIS PRESS
CONFERENCE
DATE: TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 16, 2008
PLACE: The Royal
Institution, Albemarle St, LONDON
Over the last 25
years successive governments have failed to form a coherent,
realistic and structured energy policy for the UK. The business and
industrial community, which has already been forced to accept
energy prices far in excess of its European counterparts, is now
expressing grave disquiet.
Piecemeal
legislation has resulted in a crisis situation for both short-term
and long- term energy supply in the UK. Industry insiders predict
major shortages within the next five years.
A press
conference to present a new report ‘A Pragmatic Energy
Policy for the UK ‘ - including recommendations on how to
keep the lights on through the next decade, will be held at
the Royal Institution, Albemarle St, on Tuesday September 16. You
are invited to attend at 10.30 a.m. to hear and put questions to
leading energy experts Professor Ian Fells and Candida Whitmill who
will present the report and its findings.
They will explain
how the current short-term and long-term crisis of energy supply in
the UK has developed and will present realistic solutions in the
short-term that will keep the lights on, as well as proposals for a
longer- term strategy post 2020. .
Prof Ian Fells,
internationally acclaimed energy expert, explains how
unrealistic “green” aspirations and wishful thinking
about unachievable quantities of offshore wind generation has led
to under-investment in energy base load infrastructure to replace
the loss of one third of generating capacity over the next
decade which the UK faces.
“The report
discloses a staggering lack of understanding of the technical and
engineering reality of what can be built within a short time
scale.
The default position
with the current policy is more gas, with all the political
uncertainties on availability and price that implies,” says
Professor Fells, Fellow of the Royal Academy of
Engineering.
NOTE TO
EDITORS:
Initiatives for the
short term include:
-
More inter-connectors to Norway,
Germany, France and the Netherlands
-
Burning of municipal waste in
incinerators to generate electricity, provide power around large
conurbations and cut down on landfill
-
Coal power station life extensions may
become essential despite the EU emissions directive
post-2015
-
Some further nuclear station life
extensions
-
and the nuclear new-build programme
must start urgently to have a new station by 2018
-
Government assistance for research
into carbon capture and storage, which must be demonstrated
urgently if CO2 emissions are to be reduced and security of supply
improved
-
Increased strategic gas
storage
In future all
CO2-free generation, including nuclear, should attract a
premium, their report says.
The report
highlights how a Severn Barrage, currently the subject of a
government study, could provide 5% of UK electricity within 10
years but an urgent decision either way is needed to keep an
overall integrated energy policy on course.
“All in all it
will be a close run thing to provide electricity to keep the lights
on through the next decade. A coherent strategic plan, as laid out
in our “Route Map to Energy Survival” in the Report
should do the trick”, Prof Fells says.
Well-known
industrialist Andrew Cook, who commissioned the report,
adds
“ A fearful
void has opened in which we need more electricity yet increasingly
lack the means to generate it”.
COMMENTS
RECEIVED:
Professor James
Lovelock FRS
“The
UK’s need for a secure source of energy is far more important
than satisfying EU or green obligations. Ian Fells and
Candida Whitmill’s report tells us just what to
do.”
Sir Eric Ash FRS,
former Rector of Imperial College and chairman of Ocean Power
Technology
“……a very impressive
contribution”.
CONTACTS:
Prof Ian
Fells
Candida
Whitmill
Andrew
Cook
William Cook
Holdings - Mobile 07802 937394, email:andrewcook@william-
cook.co.uk.
1. Press Release 17th Sept 2008
