Regulation of emerging energy technologies

Regulating health and safety in the emerging energy technologies (EET) sector will raise a range of resource challenges for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), according to a paper presented to its Board last month.

An update on the Emerging Energy Technologies Programme explains that EETs include wind farms and biomass plants; carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects, and underground coal gasification projects.

A report commissioned from the Health and Safety Laboratory says that the future energy economy in the UK will be made up of conventional fossil fuels (transformed by CCS, underground coal gasification, and storage of imported gas underground and under the sea) and a significant and rapidly increasing onshore and offshore renewables sector.

The paper sets out that in 2007-08 there were over 881,000 jobs within the low carbon and environmental goods and services (or LCEGS) sector and it is forecast to grow by an additional 400,000 jobs over the next eight years. Just under a third (31%) of overall activity in this sector is in manufacturing and more than 90% of companies involved are small and medium-sized enterprises.

As trade unions and safety campaigners have pointed out, these “green” industries are not low risk and will require a significant inspection and enforcement regime. Further discussions will take place at the HSE later this year.