Electrify Industry is the new body representing businesses seeking to decarbonise our industrial base through electrification.
We recognise that hydrogen and CCS will play an important part in that process but, for many businesses, electrification offers the most sensible and sustainable method of decarbonisation. To get the most out of the opportunity within the energy transition, there are a number of hurdles that need to be overcome:
Internationally competitive electricity prices. Ensuring the long-term international competitiveness of UK industry by getting to grips with UK energy costs today; allowing UK industry to harness the best in decarbonising technologies and grow the economy.
A domestic level playing field for support for decarbonisation options. Providing a level and fair playing field for industry as they seek to do the right thing and decarbonise our economy, develop the vital technologies of tomorrow and ensure the UK does not suffer a regrettable, regressive and entirely avoidable mass de-industrialisation in the years to come. Failure to do so will contribute to excessive operational expense costs to UK businesses, their customers and, eventually, the wider economy. Electrification must therefore have comparable business models offered to the other decarbonisation options.
Optimising electricity Grid connectivity. Working to ensure that when businesses want to decarbonise and move to an electrification solution there are the Grid connections required to facilitate this and are able to create flexibility for the Grid through onsite renewables electric and thermal storage.
Developing a UK supply chain for industrial electrification. We can grow our industry and we can ensure that more of the strategically vital tools to help with the energy transition are available in our own market
Investment in skills. The transition to electrification provides the opportunity to harness our world leading education and skills sector and ensure that industrial jobs work for the generation currently making that transition and those yet to come into the industry.
Prioritise research and innovation. Finally, the UK must exploit its world class academics and innovators to provide the expert knowledge needed to innovate, create and grow.
The launch of Electrify Industry is an important milestone in helping to ensure a sustainable future for our manufacturing sector.
As our industries look to decarbonise the energy solutions they will look to use will be hydrogen, CCUS and electrification. It is a fact that the majority are likely to electrify and it is therefore increasingly important that a strong ‘voice’ is created to support the growth of electrification alongside the existing voices of hydrogen and CCUS. This is not a competition between technologies, each business within UK industry must be able to choose the right technology for them. Just like for hydrogen and CCUS, business models, supply chain capability planning, skills development plans and research and innovation programs will need to be coordinated and implemented. Electrify Industry will take forward these challenges and provide the coordination needed to help ready the UK to support our industries through their huge electrification journey.
Chris Williams
Industry Wales
For the UK to maximise the growth and job creation opportunities available in the energy transition, our country needs a policy framework that helps businesses get ahead of the curve and ensure that the UK remains the vibrant, innovative and industrious place to create.
Electrify Industry has laid out six areas that we believe need addressing in such policy and we look forward to working with members, partners and policy decision makers to find solutions to ensure that the UK’s industrial economy is able to develop and grow in the years ahead.
Daniel Paterson
Electrify Industry, powered by Make UK
