The UK and global energy markets have gone through another turbulent year. In one breath we celebrated emerging from the pandemic, in another we witnessed Russia invade Ukraine with devastating impact on the Ukrainian people.
I remember once being in a queue at a newsagent in Croydon, London when a gentleman approached me with the excitement of someone who had just discovered they were the heir to a huge fortune and said, “This is the end of racism!”.
I have just watched SSE’s on-line video about the Berwick Bank Wind Farm and I rather wish I hadn’t, not least because I have just had lunch and the aftertaste of leek and potato soup and smoky cheese in a brioche bun has been replaced by something that tastes like engine oil.
2022 has been a year punctuated with historically high commodity pricing (particularly soaring gas prices in the European market), the weaponisation of the sector as a result of the murky geopolitical undertakings of President Putin, and the ensuing cost of living crisis perpetuated by rising energy costs.
Karl Farrow, Founder and CEO of CeraPhi Energy talks about the opportunity Geothermal presents as part of the energy mix and how the skill set of the Oil and Gas sector can be harnessed in this transition.
By Graham Kellas, Senior Vice President, Global Fiscal Research at Wood Mackenzie
Wood Mackenzie looks at the impact of the latest government windfall tax policy and how this could affect the direction of the energy industry over the coming year with a full review of the sector’s fiscal system set to be undertaken.
By François Régis Mouton de Lostalot Lassalle, Regional Director Europe, IOGP
The loss of Russian gas supplies has led to a supply deficit in Europe which is likely to last over the coming three to four years and sustain higher gas prices. To avoid the long-term deindustrialization of Europe and the impoverishment of millions of citizens, Europe needs an energy security plan that looks beyond public support, energy savings and renewable electrification only.
The supposed dying days of oil and gas have been surprisingly profitable, but not necessarily investible. The energy market has been tossed up and down, first by the COVID-19 pandemic and now, in 2022, by the war in Ukraine.
When asked to put together my reflections of the year gone and predictions for the year to come, I felt depressed. The line, “you couldn’t make this up” was foremost in my mind - no festive cheer I’m afraid, it is a depressing picture.
By Ryan Menzies, Apollo group managing director, and Lucy Green, Apollo business development director
The energy trilemma of energy security, energy affordability, and energy sustainability can seem an impossible balance. At Apollo we want to achieve a sustainable, decarbonised future – for the industry, for the planet, and for everyone. We know it’s not enough to just talk about sustainable energy. Technology. Practical solutions. Innovation. It's that mix that will make it happen. It's complex, but that’s what we’re good at in Apollo!
By David McEwing, partner and co-head of energy and utilities at Addleshaw Goddard
In late 2022, I attended the World Energy Capital Assembly in London, where leading energy executives, financiers and investors gather to look at the future of the oil and gas industry. Coming at the tail end of a year largely characterised by doom and gloom – war, and political and economic uncertainty – it offered a chance to gauge the mood of the sector.
From truly flexible working to Spanish vineyards… does this sound like the working life for you? Land seismic technology company STRYDE certainly thinks so.
As we enter a new year, the need to move at pace towards a more integrated energy system and workforce is of huge importance if we are to turn the ambition of decarbonisation and the green economy into a reality.
In 2015, we set the goal of limiting global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, the latest UNFCCC estimates show that we are far exceeding this limit.
As 2022 draws to a close, the offshore wind sector in the UK stands at a hugely important inflection point, as we both acknowledge the remarkable story of success we’ve seen, but also consider the innovative solutions needed if we are to meet the challenges ahead.
2022 has been a massive year for the energy sector, and I don’t say that lightly. It is an industry founded on commercial and technical ingenuity. An industry which repeatedly rises to the challenge. The most recent challenge is the balancing act between energy security, climate change, social justice and the rising cost of living on the global agenda.
The continent’s two biggest oil producing nations have made recent reforms to their upstream regulatory regimes, which were been long awaited and the changes largely well received.
By Hari Vamadevan, executive vice president and regional director, UK & Ireland, Energy Systems at DNV.
The UK is going through a transition that will transform today’s energy system, writes DNV's Hari Vamadevan, but not sufficient to meet its 2050 Net Zero emissions commitments
By Conrad Purcell and Shu Shu Wong, Haynes and Boone
All aspects of renewable electricity generation in the UK are currently affected by policy uncertainty. The UK government’s stated policy goals are to decarbonise electricity generation through increased deployment of offshore wind, carbon capture utilisation and storage, hydrogen and nuclear.
By David Rennie, head of low carbon energy, Scottish Enterprise
We are heading into another challenging 12 months for the energy sector. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic, shrinking economies, severe weather events and geopolitical shocks, namely Russian’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine, are being felt keenly.