Britain ‘facing energy shortfall’

Britain is likely to face a shortfall in electricity generation within five to seven years, a report concludes.

Energy and environment consultancy firm Inenco says that the number of nuclear and coal plants coming out of service over the period makes shortages likely.
Old coal plants, whose operating hours are limited under European legislation, have been running more than expected because of higher gas prices.

But other analysts say new plants can be built quickly and shortages avoided.

Earlier this month, the government announced it was prepared to approve applications to build new nuclear reactors, but anticipates it would be 10 years before they came on stream.

“With the recent announcement about new nuclear stations, there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief,” said Inenco’s deputy managing director Michael Abbott.

“We believe that demand overtakes supply somewhere between 2012 and 2015, creating a serious ‘generation gap’.”

In its report, to be released later this week, Inenco warns that in the extreme case, shortages could materialise around the time of the London Olympics in 2012.

BBC