Energy white paper set for release at end of March

A minister has revealed that the long-awaited energy white paper will not be published until the end of next month, as a former First Sea Lord accused the civil nuclear programme of being in “disarray”.

Baroness Bloomfield, a government whip in the House of Lords, told fellow peers this week that the energy white paper would be published “at the end of this quarter”.

This timetable would push the white paper, which was originally due to come out last summer and the publication of which was described as “very soon” by recently axed energy minister Lord Duncan, until the end of March.

The baroness said three “cross-cutting themes” would be set out in the paper: nations, regions and places; mobilising capital and ‘harnessing innovation’.

She said nuclear power would be addressed in all three themes, adding that the white paper will also address renewables, energy conservation, carbon capture and storage, and battery technologies.

Baroness Bloomfield made her comments about the white paper in response to concerns raised by Lord West of Spithead, who served as head of the Royal Navy from 2002 to 2007, about the government’s nuclear strategy.

He said: “The government appear somewhat complacent about tackling what will be a crisis for our future energy supply, particularly the supply of electricity, as demand for that rises. There is no doubt that the current civil nuclear programme is in complete disarray.

“We know that, alongside renewables, new nuclear power stations are necessary if we are to decarbonise our economy.”

Lord West was backed up by former Conservative energy secretary of state Lord Howell, who described progress on the nuclear programme as “thoroughly unsatisfactory”.

But Baroness Bloomfield expressed disagreement with Lord West’s assertion that the government is not taking nuclear power “seriously”, pointing to initiatives such as the recent launch of the sector deal for the industry.

“The government are committed to looking at alternative funding models that could improve value for money and reduce the capital cost of new nuclear projects.

She also downplayed concerns about the proposed involvement of China General Nuclear Power Group in a new nuclear power station at Bradwell in Essex.

“Safety and security are of paramount importance to the UK government, and any investments in the UK energy market are subject to a thorough national security review. The UK has a robust and effective regulatory regime and plays a leading role in setting international standards. It will be up to the government to reassure the United States that this does not prejudice our national security.”

And the baroness told Lord West that based on current plans, there will be four nuclear power stations supplying electricity to the National Grid in 2030, two of which will close in that year.