The Department of Energy and Climate Change is “not hanging about” as it puts in place the new energy regulator as proposed in a report on the North Sea led by Sir Ian Wood.
Energy Minister Michael Fallon yesterday said he expects the chief executive of the new regulator to be in place by July and that Decc was “about to launch the process” required to hire a headhunting firm to begin the search.
Mr Fallon said the main recommendations of Sir Ian’s plan to maximise North Sea recovery and ensure that companies collaborate and share the use of infrastructure will be “implemented as soon as possible and legislated as early as possible”.
“This report was finalised in February. I’ve not known a government review to be implemented as quickly as this,” said Mr Fallon.
“Some of these can sit around for months or years before you get parliamentary time and before you get Whitehall moving.”
Read our full coverage of the Wood Review here
Mr Fallon addressed business leaders at a dinner hosted by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AICC) last night.
Earlier in the day, the minister also visited the Nigg yard on the Cromarty Firth, as well as attending the opening of the new offices of trade body Energy North, at Invergordon.
Roy MacGregor, chairman of Global Energy Group which owns the Nigg yard, said: “We are delighted the energy minister has taken the time to come north to see our world-class facilities. He will be informed of our ambitious plans for expansion and our capabilities to support the energy industry in its many forms.”
Ian Couper, chief executive at Energy North, which moved to larger premises at Morrich House, Invergordon, last month following the recruitment of three staff, also welcomed Mr Fallon’s interest.
He said: “The Cromarty Firth and the wider Highlands and Islands have been transformed over recent months and the local supply chain has benefited greatly from growth within the industry – from shops and hotels to engineers and fabricators. Our focus now is to ensure that the region has everything it needs to maintain this growth.”
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