Dunkelflaute and the risks of electricity intermittency

Inquiry overview

The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee, chaired by Baroness Sheehan, has launched an inquiry into Dunkelflaute and the risks of renewable energy intermittency. This is in the context of the Government’s Clean Energy Superpower Mission, as articulated by its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. The inquiry will focus on the operational readiness, scalability and affordability of low-carbon options to address long-term Dunkelflaute events (days to weeks) and Government’s progress in delivering the policy, market and governance frameworks required to support deployment.

Background

The Government has set a clean power target for 2030 and aims to reach net zero by 2050, which will require decarbonising the UK’s energy supply and increasing electrification of homes, transport and industry. As the proportion of electricity supply relying on renewables sources such as wind and solar increases, concern has been raised about the vulnerability of the system to periods of low wind and solar generation, known as ‘Dunkelflaute’.

There are many ways to respond to the supply-demand gap during a Dunkelflaute event. This includes increasing generation by relying on stored gas or hydrogen, batteries, imports from interconnectors, and low-carbon dispatchable power, and/or adjusting demand through consumer flexibility. The Committee is particularly interested in the mix of technologies and approaches which can respond to long-term Dunkelflaute events, lasting days to weeks. This includes their state of readiness and relative costs.

Aims

The aims of this inquiry are to:

Please note that the Committee is not seeking evidence on the cost of electricity, grid connection reform or grid infrastructure. Though these are pertinent issues, other committees are exploring these concerns.

Questions

The committee seeks evidence in response to the following questions. It is not necessary to answer all the questions. Short submissions are preferred. A submission longer than six pages should include a one-page summary.

Dunkelflaute likelihood and impact

1. How are Dunkelflaute events defined and how far in advance can they be predicted? How likely is it that the UK will be impacted by dunkelflaute events lasting days to weeks and is that likelihood expected to change in the future?

2. How significant could the future demand-supply gap be during a Dunkelflaute in 2030 and 2050, under current plans and targets? Is the UK on track to deliver the infrastructure required to address these gaps?

Technologies and solutions

3. Which low-carbon technologies are most effective at addressing long-term Dunkelflaute events, lasting days to weeks? At what point could these technologies be deployed at a system-wide level and what are the main barriers to their deployment?

4. What role will gas with carbon capture or other dispatchable generation need to play during a severe Dunkelflaute? What are the challenges associated with installing carbon capture for retained gas plants?

5. What is the role of demand management in shifting or reducing the demand-supply gap during extended Dunkelflaute events (days to weeks)?

6. How important is international cooperation on electricity supply for resilience to Dunkelflaute events? What are the barriers to further cooperation?

Policy, market and governance frameworks

7. What analysis has been done to identify the most cost-effective approach to maintaining security of supply and meeting electricity demand under long-term Dunkelflaute conditions?

8. Do current market arrangements provide sufficient incentives for investment in the range of solutions needed to maintain security of supply during Dunkelflaute conditions? Do market arrangements support the establishment of a ‘strategic reserve’?

9. What, if any, are the key decisions that Government needs to take before 2030 in relation to long-duration energy storage and low-carbon dispatchable power solutions to support a resilient decarbonised electricity system?

10. What best practice can be learned from other countries about the innovative use of technologies for managing the risk of intermittency from renewables?

Annex: Guidance for submissions (for witnesses)

The questions in the call for evidence are intended to provide guidance for those who wish to offer their views. All submissions made through the written submission form will be acknowledged automatically by email. As the inquiry progresses, the Committee may narrow the inquiry focus to specific aspects of the topic. The Committee cannot accept anything that has not been prepared specifically in response to this call for evidence, or that has been published elsewhere.

Diversity comes in many forms and hearing a range of different perspectives means that committees are better informed and can more effectively scrutinise public policy and legislation. Committees can undertake their role most effectively when they hear from a wide range of individuals, sectors or groups in society affected by a particular policy or piece of legislation. We encourage anyone with experience or expertise of an issue under investigation by a select committee to share their views with the committee, with the full knowledge that their views have value and are welcome.

The deadline for submitting written evidence is 23.59 on Monday 12 October.

Further detailed guidance on the submission process for witnesses will be provided on the website.

This inquiry will consider how the UK can maintain a secure, affordable and low-carbon electricity supply during ‘dunkelflaute’ events – periods of low wind and solar energy generation. This will include an assessment of current UK preparedness for dunkelflaute conditions, future plans, and policy and regulatory gaps.

Evidence goes to the committee through Parliament’s own form. There is no way to submit it from here: Parliament publishes no API for written evidence, so the button above opens the committee’s page.

What you send is published under your name and can be quoted in the committee’s report. Keep it under 3,000 words, send it as a document rather than a letter in the body of an email, and answer the questions above rather than writing generally.

The committee’s own address is hlenviroclimate@parliament.uk, for a question about the inquiry or trouble with the form.