Renewable energy will significantly enhance the UK’s energy security, surpassing the impact of new domestic oil and gas production.
According to a new report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), as North Sea output declines, the UK is expected to become more reliant on foreign energy imports over the next five years.
The report indicates that new oil and gas licences will have minimal effect on reducing this dependency.
Instead, a combination of renewable energy, home insulation, heat pumps and electric vehicles can halt the rise in energy import dependence, potentially maintaining or improving the UK’s energy self-sufficiency.
Without the adoption of clean technologies, even the maximum projected output from new North Sea licences would leave the UK’s energy import reliance 25% higher by 2030.
However, current trends in renewable energy suggest this increase could be limited to 10%.
Accelerating the deployment of renewable technologies could maintain or reduce import dependency by 2030, according to the report.
The effectiveness of new oil and gas licences is questioned, as analysis shows that in the past decade, hundreds of licences have produced only 16 days’ worth of gas.
Despite new licences, employment in the oil and gas sector has halved, currently supporting around 215,000 jobs.
Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin, Head of Analysis, at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said: “The UK could be in reverse gear on energy security over the next five years.
“If you want more of the UK’s energy made in the UK, and as the North Sea continues its inevitable decline, British wind and solar energy make by far the biggest difference, doing the heavy lifting on British energy security.”
