Energy technologies for the United Kingdom: 1986 appraisal of research, development and demonstration

This report sets out the results of a systematic examination of the full range of energy technologies (extraction, conversion, distribution and utilisation) likely to be relevant to the UK. The examination involved; assessing the likely economic potential of each technology, in competition with others in supplying the same market, in a wide range of assumed energy prices; appraising the corresponding RD and D programmes in terms of their likely cost-effectiveness; identifying the major non-market factors relevant to the technologies, eg. environmental impact, health and safety issues and security of energy supply; Chapter 1 of the report sets out some of the background to the work and previous similar exercises. Chapter 2 describes what technologies were considered and how they were grouped. The criteria used and the results of the examination are set out in summary form in Chapters 3 and 4. The broad conclusions, discussed in Chaper 5, show that the great majority of current RD and D programmes in the UK promise to be cost-effective in most of the assumed price scenarios. (author)