On the day the Government published their plans for Powering Up Britain, the British Hydropower Association (BHA) calls on Government to not forget an industry which, for over a century, has delivered net zero electricity for communities and industries in the UK and around the world. The Government must do more to ensure the accelerated delivery of this proven, predictable, and quickly deployable technology.
In the last few weeks, the BHA has seen progress made across hydro technologies by its members and the Welsh Government. The BHA welcomed the news that SSE is progressing Britain’s biggest pumped hydro storage scheme in 40 years. It has welcomed the news that the Welsh Government have made funds available through the Tidal Lagoon Challenge to help unlock a new wave of tidal lagoon projects. Finally, the BHA is championing the role that run of river hydro can play in delivering a fair, net-zero transition for all by unlocking rural communities’ ability to access predictable electricity.
Kate Gilmartin, CEO of BHA, commented:
“While we welcome the Government’s support for new and unproven technologies, like CCUS and Hydrogen, the Government also needs to ensure that proven technologies like hydropower continue to be deployed, mitigating the risk if these technologies are not delivered on time.
The announcements in the last few weeks are great examples of industry and the Welsh Government investing in putting hydropower back on the agenda. To make real progress, it can’t be industry or Government making the move but both, working in partnership, and we will continue to champion this collaborative approach to ensure that we deliver energy security and a fair net zero transition for all.”
