Ensuring energy security through uncertain times

At this moment of political and economic uncertainty, there are understandable concerns around international energy supply chains, and one of the best actions that countries can take to protect against future volatility is to push ahead with the energy transition, ensuring a greater supply of flexible, sustainable, domestically produced power that will stay robust in the face of unexpected challenges. 

Globally, E.ON is a major provider of energy solutions and clean energy networks with roughly 47 million customers across 17 countries, and in the UK – where we serve nearly one in seven homes and businesses – we’re working tirelessly to push the energy transition forward for the good of our customers, energy security, and the environment. Here are some of the ways we’re doing it: 

Growing renewable capacity with Power Purchase Agreements 

We have power purchase agreements with dozens of wind farms across the UK, and are constantly working towards more. Each one of these agreements helps provide both capital and confidence to the renewable energy sector, which in turn reduces the UK’s dependence on imported fossil fuels by incentivising new sustainable energy projects, improving resilience against future shocks. 

Large-scale and long-duration Battery Storage 

As we grow the UK’s renewable energy capacity, we must also ensure security of supply in the face of unpredictable weather. By building more large-scale battery storage like the two 230-megawatt facilities we have invested in at the site of the former Uskmouth coal-fired power station in Newport, South Wales, we are working towards a reliable supply of renewable electricity to the UK’s homes and businesses even when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining. 

Decarbonising industry through innovation 

The UK doesn’t rely on internationally sourced fossil fuels like natural gas only for powering homes and businesses, but also for important industrial processes such as steel production. Through efforts such as the Hydrogen for the Decarbonisation of Sheffield Steel project (HYDESS) project, we’re finding ways to make new energy work for heavy industry. 

Helping customers achieve flexibility with domestic installations 

Whether through commercial installations of solar panels and domestic storage, or pilot projects putting batteries in people’s homes at no upfront cost to help lower their bills, we’re helping create a generation of flexsumers capable of consuming, storing, and sharing electricity. This means less dependence on centralised power plants that are potential targets for cyber attacks or other security-related issues, and a more robust energy system overall. 

Making community energy possible with energy sharing 

Similarly, by working towards the introduction of Energy Sharing Communities, where public buildings and businesses generate electricity from their own rooftop solar systems while selling surplus to the local community, we are helping the UK diversify and decentralise its energy system, making the nation as a whole less vulnerable to issues of supply and security. 

Over the last 12 years we’ve installed around 1.5 million energy efficiency measures to help households access over £10 billion in lifetime energy bill savings, encouraging energy flexibility for individuals and improving national energy security overall by encouraging renewables and reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels. 

In the future, we’ll keep innovating, investing, and installing upgrades as widely as possible, continuing to work with Government and regulators to support these efforts by following our ongoing and upcoming pilots, investing in more green financing, and sharing in our philosophy that it’s on us – all of us – to make new energy work.