Britain's electricity network is on track to run for hours at a time without burning any natural gas by the middle of the decade, according to National Grid.

Energy bosses are eyeing the next step in cleaner energy after Britain last week went a record two months without burning any coal to generate electricity. National Grid Electricity Systems Operator, which runs the main networks, wants to be able to run a “carbon-free” network by 2025.

A spokesman said: “Meeting this goal means operating the system without any gas generation running for short periods in 2025.” That is likely to be hours at a time rather than days.

Natural gas, drilled from underground including the North Sea, generated almost 40pc of the UK’s electricity last year, although the fossil fuel’s role is falling as more wind and solar power stations are hooked up to the grid.

Large scale carbon capture and storage systems are some way off in the UK, however, although the Government committed in its latest Budget to spending £800m on getting some up and running.

Running the grid without natural gas, even for a few hours at a time, would be an important symbolic and practical step towards the UK’s commitment to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.

It would also represent a further challenge to the oil and gas giants such as Shell and BP, who have pivoted their businesses towards gas in recent years due to its role in generating electricity. Demand for electricity is expected to spike given the growth in electric cars and possibly electric heating.

The two-month run without using domestic coal-fired power was achieved in part due to the slump in demand for energy while people are staying at home due to the lockdown.

The milestone was reached at midnight on June 10, aided by high winds and the sunniest spring on record. National Grid ESO said it was hard to say when Britain might go a whole day without using any natural gas that wasn’t coupled with carbon capture.

Guest post from The Telegraph