The Leading News & Information Service For The Facilities, Workplace & Built Environment Community

New Housing in London at Risk as Electricity Networks Near Capacity

New Housing in London at Risk as Electricity Networks Near Capacity
04 August 2022
 

New developments in London may be stalled due to the electricity grid running out of capacity.

According to a letter seen by the Financial Times, The Greater London Authority told developers that they may be forced to ban new housing projects until 2035.

The Conservative government’s 2019 election manifesto pledged to increase the housing supply in England, with a target of 300,000 homes per year.

Research commissioned by the National Housing Federation (NHF) and Crisis from Heriot-Watt University shows that around 340,000 new homes need to be supplied in England each year, of which 145,000 should be affordable.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, also doubled his housebuilding target in July 2022, to create 20,000 new council homes by 2024. 

 

Are Data Centres, Heat Pumps and Electric Vehicles to Blame?

 

Experts say that the grid remains unprepared for the widespread electrification that is set to enable the decarbonisation of the UK’s heating system.

The Financial Times reports that the number of data centres along the M4 corridor is partly to blame for the pressure on the electricity grid, as “data centres use large quantities of electricity, the equivalent of towns or small cities, to power servers and ensure resilience in service”.

BloombergNEF said in October 2021 that power demand from data centres in the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland and Germany would jump 80 per cent, to close to 48 terawatt-hours by 2030.

It’s also predicted that demand on local networks may be exacerbated with the adoption of heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers. The UK’s net-zero plans feature a pledge to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028. The strategy also prioritises electric vehicle manufacturing and EV charging installation.

Picture: a photograph of some operators working on an electricity pylon. Image Credit: National Grid

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 04 August 2022

Share



Related Articles

Optimise Prime - Transforming the Grid To Accommodate EVs

Optimise Prime is a UK Power Networks project aimed at understanding the charging patterns of fleet electric vehicles and their impact on networks. The project seeks...

 Read Full Article
Monty Pylon - Ofgem Takes Comic Route To Hinkley C Grid Upgrade

Ofgem has confirmed it will use the comedy of competitive tender to try to knock £100m off the £800 million cost to connect Hinkley Point C to the...

 Read Full Article
Energy Assets Launches Net-Zero Business

Energy services company Energy Assets has launched “EA Net Zero” to help their customers adopt low-carbon technologies. Specialising in the industrial and...

 Read Full Article
Security Company Supports Women’s Night Safety Charter

A London-based security company is urging others to support the Women’s Night Safety Charter, to help make London a city where all women feel confident and welcome...

 Read Full Article
BESA Calls for Government to Invest in Heat Pumps

Funding earmarked for building efficiency should be brought forward urgently in light of the energy cost crisis and climate change goals, according to BESA. “The...

 Read Full Article
First Ammonia Semi-Truck Competes with EV Fleets

Amogy, a pioneer of emission-free, energy-dense ammonia power solutions, has announced the successful testing of the first-ever ammonia-powered, zero-emission semi-truck....

 Read Full Article
Mitie Shares Net-Zero Insights and Advice for 2023

Mitie has published its latest decarbonisation paper, sharing their predictions for the year ahead, covering a range of areas including energy, e-mobility and...

 Read Full Article
Mitie Wins Job Centre EV Charging Contract

The Department for Work and Pensions has awarded Mitie a contract to install 250 new electric vehicle charging points at job centres across the UK. The £4.3...

 Read Full Article
EQUANS  – EMEX 2022 | Focus Interview

EQUANS enables businesses to transition to net-zero carbon through their EV Solutions business, whether it’s a few chargers for the workplace or the installation of...

 Read Full Article
What Can Be Done About the Data Centre Energy Drain?

Data centres already make up three per cent of global electricity consumption, and with the ever-expanding adoption of technology, consumption will only increase...

 Read Full Article