What can we expect from the next phase of the energy transition?

Energy is arguably the most important industry in the world. However, it is also facing one of the biggest periods of upheaval in history. It’s a challenging and exciting time, and 2026 could be a significant year. We want to have a closer look here at some of the things we may see. Then, if you need to order ERW steel tubes in the West Midlands for key projects like energy, infrastructure, construction, and more, we can work with you.

Maturing

ERW steel tubes West MidlandsThe key forecast is 2026 will be the year that the global energy transition matures. Crucially, this could mean key moves in different sectors. We’ve had a few years of upheaval with work to move away from fossil fuels in favour of greener, more sustainable ways to generate power. Many of these are now maturing and we’re seeing steady growth.

An interesting thing here is there is unevenness in the energy transition. Some countries are moving away from oil and gas rapidly, investing huge sums in alternatives. However, other countries are sticking with fossil fuels. It’s the same if you look at certain industries. Some embrace cleaner energy and reducing their carbon footprint quickly, while others are hard-to-abate.

Major themes

While the overall expectation is we’ll see maturation of the energy transition, there are some key themes to explore. Most notably is demand for energy will continue to increase. It will largely be driven by things like growth in electric vehicle usage, high energy industries like data centres, and infrastructure. If you want to buy ERW steel tubes in the West Midlands for projects, rely on us.

Interestingly, a major theme is offshore wind is in the spotlight. We even saw the signing of the Hamburg Declaration last month. The ground-breaking deal will see the UK and nine European countries develop the largest wind farm in the world in the North Sea.

Next, there has been significant growth in nuclear power. In fact, the IEA said we’ve seen investments increase by a massive 70% in five years. Countries all around the world are expanding their nuclear power capabilities or entering the field. So, the expectation is this will continue in 2026 and onwards. Ultimately, the forecast is nuclear capacity will increase by a third by 2035.

There is also big growth in BESS and energy storage. It has the potential to massively improve energy security in all kinds of countries. Using battery farms, we can store excess power when demand is low. Then, we can use it to boost supplies during peak times. In the UK, we’ve got around 2,000 of these projects at various stages of development.

Talk to us about ordering ERW steel tubes in the West Midlands

As you can see, 2026 could be a really exciting year for the energy transition and different industries. At Union Steel Tubes, we work hard to support clients with all kinds of projects. We can offer high quality tubing for a huge list of applications, including construction, routing resources like water and gas, electrical conduits, and much more.

We’re one of the top names for ERW steel tubes in the West Midlands because we have lots of options, keep lead times low, and give clients the perfect services. Contact us today and discuss your needs.