The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has concluded its search for a new chairperson after delaying current chair Tim Eggar’s retirement by seven months.
Eggar was set to step away from the regulator in March 2024 when his retirement was announced in August last year – however, he stayed on with the NSTA until it found his successor.
He is set to bring his five-year term to an end on 22 October, when Liz Ditchburn takes up the role.
The position was advertised with a remuneration package of £80,000 per year and demands two days of work per week.
Ditchburn’s term is set to last for three years when she picks up the role, the advertisement for which was set to close on 5 March.
The incoming chairperson said: “Our North Sea industries have a huge potential to lead the way in the UK’s clean energy transition – from new offshore wind developments to the latest in carbon capture and storage.
“I’m looking forward to driving this work at the NSTA to ensure the sector can maximise this opportunity, bringing growth and investment to Scotland’s North Sea communities and securing the long-term future of highly skilled jobs.”
Ditchburn is the former director general for economy for the Scottish government and a non-executive director of Aberdeen’s UK government-funded Net Zero Technology Centre.
As chairperson of the North Sea regulator, she will oversee licensing and regulation in the UK’s oil and gas sector as well as offshore hydrogen and carbon storage.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband, who appointed Ditchburn, said: “I would like to thank Tim Eggar for his commitment as chair of the NSTA in such a crucial time for the industry.
“Liz will now continue this legacy, bringing a wealth of experience across government to an important role at the centre of our energy transition.
“Together with the NSTA, we will build on the expertise of our North Sea industries to deliver an orderly and prosperous transition.”
NSTA chief executive Stuart Payne welcomed the appointment and said Ditchburn “brings with her not only a wealth of experience working in government but also a genuine excitement and interest in our work”.
Mr Eggar, a former UK energy minister, took on the position in 2019. He was previously a member of parliament for almost 20 years and acted as the UK government’s energy minister between 1992 and 1996, later holding numerous roles within industry.
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