About The Energy Transition
Helix Capital provides investors with opportunities to support the UK’s journey to Net Zero.
At A Glance
Helix Capital invests in carbon-neutral flexible generation and storage and Green Hydrogen production.
The UK government has enshrined in law the requirement to get to Net Zero by 2050 – reducing carbon emissions where possible and offsetting any produced.
The journey to Net Zero – the Energy Transition - requires:
Lower carbon electricity; more renewables
A long-duration clean fuel for the transport, agriculture and construction sectors; an alternative to diesel.
One of our major challenges in decarbonising the electricity system further is to replace fossil fuels as a source of flexibility on the electricity system. This will become increasingly important as we see more variable weather-driven sources of generation on the system
National Grid ESO:
Future Energy Scenarios, July 2021
enabling more renewables onto the Grid.
Flexible Generation and Storage
- Renewables – mainly wind and solar – are overtaking fossil fuels as the primary means of generating electricity in the UK.
- Renewables are intermittent – they only generate electricity when the wind blows, or the sun shines; fossil fuels provide constant and predictable electricity (‘baseload’).
As more renewables are put onto the Grid, we need more flexible generation and storage to fill the gaps in electricity supply – when the wind is not blowing, or the sun is not shining – to meet demand.
Helix Capital invests in Flexible Generation capacity and utility-scale battery storage to enable the roll-out of more renewables to decarbonise electricity generation while maintaining grid security and stability.
Hydrogen is a key alternative to the use of fossil fuels in transport and will be essential to meeting our net-zero targets
BEIS: UK Hydrogen Strategy
August 2021
Hydrogen displaces fossil fuels, reducing CO2 emissions and improving air quality
Hydrogen is an energy carrier that addresses renewables intermittency and energy storage
Hydrogen demand could increase by over eight times by 2050 as the energy transition gathers pace, abating some 60 billion tonnes/year of CO2 emissions.
With the adoption of legislated net zero targets by governments worldwide, the focus has shifted to how exactly these targets can be met.
In addition, the growing share of renewables in the energy mix has created an urgent need for energy storage. Clean hydrogen can help us deal with the intermittency of renewables by converting power to a storable, usable gas to replace hydrocarbons, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality.
All of this enables the world to deliver its climate change mitigation ambitions.
Green Hydrogen
Long duration fuel for transport, agriculture, plant and machinery
Together, Transport and Agriculture are the largest emitters of Greenhouse Gasses (GHG) in the UK.
Large HGVs, trains, agricultural vehicles, and construction equipment are some of the most challenging segments to decarbonise due to their long journey distances, heavy payload and constant use.
Hydrogen is a transportable, high-energy fuel that can be used for long durations using existing technology (e.g. hydrogen-powered lorries, trains, tractors and construction plants) to replace existing diesel-powered vehicles.
Only Green Hydrogen – Hydrogen produced from renewable electricity – is zero carbon.
It is, therefore, a critical part of the ongoing decarbonisation of transport and agriculture.
Hydrogen is an energy carrier that addresses renewables intermittency and energy storage.
Clean hydrogen can help us deal with the intermittency of renewables by converting power to a storable, usable gas to replace hydrocarbons, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality.