Careers: A position in power generation

With the UK’s energy mix becoming ever more diverse, a host of engineering opportunities are emerging in less-well known areas of power generation

Earlier this year, something extraordinary happened to the UK’s energy grid. For one day in June, a record 70 per cent of the electricity produced in the UK was low-carbon. That day was dubbed ‘stunning Sunday’ by one grid manager, because the carbon intensity of producing power moved below 100g of CO₂ per kilowatt hour for the first time. This is the level that Britain must hit daily by 2030 if it is to meet its renewable energy goal of cutting emissions by 57 per cent, compared with 1990 levels, in just 13 years.

That is a tremendous challenge that requires a shift away from reliance on oil and gas towards renewables, including emerging forms of ‘clean’ energy generation, such as tidal power, pumped hydro and anaerobic digestion (AD). The UK is beginning to embrace these industries, which some claim could help bring about an ‘epochal transformation’ to the country once the infrastructure is in place for wide-scale roll-out.