The transition from oil and gas to renewable energy provides the north-east with “enormous opportunity” to use its expertise to grow businesses and jobs.
Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) chief executive Sara Thiam delivered her view as she visited the Granite City for the World Energy Council summit.
She said it was clear there was “real economic opportunities” in the transition to renewable energy.
“We are seeing the oil and gas companies really making a radical shift
and getting involved in hydrogen and offshore wind, so I think there
are real economic opportunities in the north-east,” Ms Thiam said.
“Given the skills and expertise that we have in the north-east, there is enormous opportunity ahead.”
The Energy Trilemma Summit and 2022 Executive Assembly brought energy sector leaders from nearly 100 countries to the two-day event at the P&J Live.
Ms Thiam said: “We’ve got to deal with what’s immediately in front of us with regards energy security and energy supply issues but we can’t take our eye off the main prize of energy transition.
“The diversification we are seeing in the energy industry is fantastic.
“It does need to happen quickly but it can’t happen overnight. The clue is in the name, energy transition, and clearly this is a region that is heavily dependent.
“But the whole country is very dependent on what we have in the north-east of Scotland.
“We are going to need oil and gas for a considerable time.”
The SCDI, founded in 1931, is an independent membership network representing a cross-section of the private, public and social economy sectors.
Its stated aim is to “engage Scotland and influence government and key stakeholders to ensure sustainable inclusive economic growth and flourishing communities”.
Ms Thiam said: “It’s all about lifelong learning and upskilling and reskilling.
“Making sure that support is in place for our workers, because it’s becoming very clear energy workers of the future may well spend a period of time in oil and gas but they
may also spend time in hydrogen, offshore wind, electric or carbon capture and storage.
“What Aberdeen has done around oil and gas has been phenomenal. You’ve got a whole supply chain.
“Aberdeen has been incredibly canny at leveraging that oil and gas expertise to actually have a whole load of other business on the back of that.
“You’ve got something really special happening in the north-east, I think, and a real opportunity.
“There’s phenomenal energy in Aberdeen.”
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