Work starting ‘immediately’ on NPS review

The government has promised to overhaul its planning policy framework for energy projects, which has not been updated for nearly a decade.

The Energy White Paper, which was published on Monday (14 December), says work is starting “immediately” on a review of the energy National Policy Statement (NPS).

The document says this review will be complete by the end of 2021 with the aim of designating by the end of next year an updated NPS, which will aim to deliver the infrastructure required for the transition to net-zero emissions by 2050.

A High Court challenge of the NPS was launched earlier this year on the grounds that the existing policy document, which dates back to 2011, fails to reflect more recently introduced policies to tackle climate change.

The claimants, who include Ecotricity founder Dale Vince, argued that the existing NPS contains a presumption in favour of fossil fuel developments.

The white paper says the current NPS will provide a framework for planning decisions on energy infrastructure projects until the update has been carried out, meaning that while coal fired plants are ruled out under other environmental rules, gas stations will still be allowed permission.

In a further tightening though of the planning rules for fossil fuel power, the white paper says the government is introducing rules for new gas-fired plants to be fitted with carbon capture technology in order to secure a development consent order.

This requirement only currently applies to gas plants bigger than 300MW but the white paper says that technological advances for decarbonising gas plants, such as conversion to firing clean hydrogen, mean it is no longer required.

The white paper says a new Ministerial Delivery Group, which is being set up to oversee the expansion of renewable power in the UK, will have a remit to help reduce consenting delays and ensure that planning guidelines and environmental regulations are “fit for purpose”.

Bringing a number of relevant government departments, the new group is designed to provide cross-government coordination and collaboration to tackle barriers to renewables deployment, such as the impact of wind turbines on radar systems and the marine environment as well as the development of appropriate network infrastructure.

The white paper also pledges support for the deployment of at least one operational CCUS (carbon capture use and storage) power plant by 2030.