UK Shows Way to Keep Lights on and Hit Net Zero

The UK is showing the world the way to keep the lights on and hit net zero by 2050.

That’s what Oil & Gas UK (OGUK) Chief Executive Deirdre Michie said in an organization statement last week following the agreement of the North Sea Transition Deal between the UK government and the oil and gas industry.

“The North Sea Transition Deal will ensure we build on the last five decades of our offshore energy expertise to deliver to the UK the energy and security it needs, whilst significantly reducing emissions,” Michie said in an OGUK statement.

“Through government and industry working together we can make the UK a world center of cleaner energy innovation that attracts investment, creates a new generation of jobs in areas that need them most and, importantly, hits these tough emissions targets that industry and government have signed up to,” Michie added.

OGUK, which describes itself as the leading representative body for the UK offshore oil and gas sector, praised industry and political backing for the deal, which was published on Wednesday. The deal is supported by OGUK’s members, which represent over 400 companies spanning the length and breadth of the UK.

Commenting on the deal, David Currie, the group chief executive officer at Proserv, an OGUK member and Aberdeen headquartered global controls technology company, said its announcement was “tremendous news”.

“It is an innovative and transformational partnership that further enables us all and supports the journey we have firmly embarked upon,” he said in a company statement.

“The transition and this partnership are critical, as they concern bringing the present into the future, while harnessing and enhancing skills and expertise accrued over many years. It is inspiring to see our industry, our leading industry body and the government come together to take this powerful step,” he added. 

Chris Ayres, the chief customer officer of OPEX Group, a fellow OGUK member and a business that uses artificial intelligence to help companies reduce their emissions, said the deal “reinforces the work that has already been undertaken and acts as a platform to accelerate the deployment of new technologies to deliver on the significant opportunities for the region and our economy”.

After the deal was published last week, UK Energy Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said, “we need to urgently end our reliance on fossil fuels and through our pioneering North Sea Transition Deal we will do so without putting our economy and communities at risk”.

“While the future oil and gas sector will look very different to how it does today, the industry, businesses and supply chains it supports will have a new mission to help the UK decarbonize and develop the clean technologies of the future, as we lead the green industrial revolution,” Trevelyan added.

UK government Minister for Scotland David Duguid said the oil and gas industry has already made great strides towards a greener, more sustainable future and noted that the North Sea Transition Deal takes those ambitions a step further.

“The North East of Scotland has long been seen as a center of excellence in the oil and gas industry – there’s no reason why it can’t now be seen as a global center of excellence for energy transition,” he added.

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