Government response to Long-duration energy storage: get on with it

This is the government's response, published 16 May 2024.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government responds to the 30 recommendations collectively under 10 themes, agreeing with some conclusions, noting others, and setting out schemes and timelines for storage support.

• On targets, the government "note[s]" the Committee's recommendations and says it continues "to review the benefits of setting capacity targets" for its support schemes, while agreeing that future electricity systems are "very likely to need storage" across several timescales.
• On hydrogen storage support, its "ambition" for the first allocation round is up to two storage projects at scale with associated pipelines, in operation or construction by 2030. Projects need a minimum TRL of 7, so depleted oil and gas fields will not be eligible in the first round.
• On timelines, it proposes to launch the first HSBM allocation round in Q3 2024 "with a view to" awarding contracts from Q4 2025, and aims to complete the LDES cap and floor design by the end of 2024, with an initial round open to applications in 2025.
• On strategic reserves, it "welcomes" recent analysis and "will consider" further how to assess the UK's need for them, noting that reserves, "if needed", could be supplied by hydrogen storage or another long duration energy store.

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