Industry Focus: New frontiers – can innovation spark a clean energy revolution?

Mentioned some 182 times in the 160-page document, innovation is a watchword of the industrial strategy. As part of its green energy sector plan, the government wants to promote ‘frontier’ industries including wind, solar, hydrogen and nuclear – hoping to double the current level of annual investment to £30 billion by 2035. 

Looking across the pond for inspiration, just this week NASA announced ambitions to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030. Launching radioactive material through our planet’s atmosphere isn’t yet on the government’s priority list, but back on Earth the UK has a genuine opportunity to harness private sector capability and become a global leader in nuclear energy. The greenlight for Sizewell C is the most recent headline grabber, alongside Rolls Royce’s selection as preferred bidder to partner with Great British Energy and form a new small modular reactor company. 

Turning from supply to demand, and the potential of artificial intelligence is unsurprisingly being talked up by government. Science Minister Lord Vallance has called on tech companies to develop solutions to flatten electricity peaks, optimise energy usage, and automate the heating and cooling of buildings based on renewable power availability. 

In the face of this innovation, rising climate change scepticism, conspiracies and technophobia mean the green industrial revolution has detractors in growing number. A forthcoming Net Zero Participation Strategy will set out plans to support adoption and adaption across communities and business. 

Given its role as an enabler, many would argue that clean energy is the most essential of the government’s growth sectors. But how much does the public really know about these technologies? With a nine-year de facto ban on onshore wind only recently lifted, and the potential of nuclear and hydrogen slowly being realised, now is the time to bring the benefits to life and tackle misinformation. 

A strong strategy and investment pipeline are essential – but as the climate crisis becomes ever more present in our daily lives, the government will also be hoping that necessity proves itself to be the mother of invention.