UK may need new gas-fired power stations to decarbonise grid

Report says new nuclear capacity will not be ready in time to provide required increase in baseload electricity

Labour is likely to have to approve new gas-fired power stations in its attempt to decarbonise the UK's electricity systems by 2030, in what would be a tricky decision for the new government.

Keeping the lights on for the rest of the decade, and beyond, will require some additional baseload power, and new nuclear power stations will not be built in time, according to a report from the National Engineering Policy Centre.