Scotland made little technical progress toward Net Zero in 2021
Let’s face it, 2021 was a terrible year.
Opinion
Maximising the lifetime contribution of physical assets in oil and gas
Across mature, capital-intensive industries such as oil and gas, operators typically want to sweat their assets. Asset performance and lifecycle costing are both critically important, as is minimising downtime and maximising the time that assets are fully operational.
Big Oil and King Coal at COP26
Cut it whichever way you like, little genuine forward progress was made at COP26, in my opinion. At best the outcomes are fragile.
ScotWind promises – I hope somebody is keeping note
As the day draws nigh when the winners are announced in the great ScotWind lottery, the lists of promises from prospective developers grow longer and more sophisticated. There is nothing they will not do for communities and supply chains. I hope somebody is keeping note.
Energy predicament: Scotland vs Wales
How best to describe Scotland’s current energy predicament? Well, no-one can resist a football analogy - and inspiration duly came as I tuned in to the recent World Cup play-off draw.
Storm Arwen dealt a hammer blow…to Aberdeenshire and the ‘electrify everything’ lobby
The “electrify everything” lobbying brigade has just been deal a damaging blow.
The conversation we’re not having…
A short time ago, I was at an event in Brussels, talking about the role of natural gas. And there was a gentleman there who didn’t want to engage with our industry at all. At one point he asked me if I was ashamed of my work and said that talking about the future of gas was just our industry looking for a lifeline. He is just one person who sees gas as a problematic energy source. Sadly, he is one of many.
Fergus Mutch: Time for a rethink of the SNP’s naive ‘Stop Cambo’ sloganeering
Just five weeks ago, the UK Government left an almighty open goal for the SNP.
Rewiring the energy system
“If we are to successfully transition to the energy system of tomorrow, we cannot simply unplug from the energy system of today,” Adnoc CEO Dr Sultan Al Jaber warned the ADIPEC conference in Abu Dhabi this month.
CMS: Hydrogen emerging as key post-COP26 solution
There were some welcome developments during COP26, not least the deal announced between the US and China to work together to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Scottish funds expert to support coal phaseout in South-east Asia
As COP26 draws to a close today and Glasgow bids farewell to international leaders, business leaders and global environmental campaigners, we have to hope that the commitments made over the last two weeks will be delivered in full (or exceeded) and to the agreed timescales.
Let’s get this right: The UK’s green energy revolution must be home-grown
As the host of the landmark COP26 summit, the UK has an important role to play as a world leader in tackling climate change. Our energy industry is no exception.
Decommissioning – the state of play
If anyone needed any evidence that decommissioning is accelerating they need only look at the BEIS table of approved decommissioning programmes.
COP26: Pressure’s on to fund solutions to the crisis, not add to the problem
Businesses are watching closely the outcomes of COP26 because decisions made in Glasgow will have a profound impact on their future, affecting what kind of activity will be possible, what kind of finance (if any), will be available and changing the value of assets currently held.
A renewable energy ‘Silk Road’
This week, the long-awaited COP26 conference finally got under way, bringing together world leaders to confront the challenge of climate change. But its outcomes, its ability to move the needle forward, is what matters to global citizens.
Mental health column: Employers, colleagues, friends…speak up when you need to
In case you missed it, World Mental Health Day was a couple of weeks ago and we saw friends, family, celebrities, and various organisations post their support on social media platforms, but how many actively encourage good mental health practices?
Burning question of scrapping gas boilers
Removing, breaking, and recycling what we can of redundant offshore oil and gas infrastructure is a huge task but worth many hundreds of millions of pounds to those fortunate enough to win the work.
Scotland must grasp unmissable opportunity to decarbonise oil and gas
The First Minister committed the Scottish Government to join a growing number of world governments who have expressed the view that unlimited recovery of oil and gas is unsustainable in light of the climate emergency.
Jeremy Cresswell: There are deep pockets associated with Acorn… so get on with it anyway
I didn’t want to revisit the UK’s carbon capture debacle so soon, but the decision to demote Scotland’s Acorn project to the second division has forced my hand.
Brian Wilson: Time to get past ‘gesture politics’ in the North Sea
“If we were to say from one day to the other that we close down production… I believe that would put a stop to an industrial transition that is needed to succeed in the momentum towards net zero. So we are about to develop and transit, not close down”.
What did the Paris Agreement achieve and what can we expect of COP26?
Delegates from around the world are today arriving in Glasgow ahead of a two-week conference that will test the willingness of today’s world leaders to deliver on the promises they or their predecessors made in Paris six years ago.
Onshore wind: The government must recognise its role in net zero
Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson published the UK’s net zero strategy – a mighty 368-page document that attempted to outline how the country will move forward and achieve ambitious emissions targets, including the decarbonisation of our electricity system by 2035.
Burness Paull: Clear potential for legal action on North Sea vaccine mandates
Employers have been urged to encourage and educate their workforce to get vaccinated, but to stop short of mandating.
How we grow from here matters
On September 16, 1987, a historic event took place in my home country of Canada. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed by 46 nations and territories and later ratified by all 197 United Nations members.
Why connectivity is key for the future of energy
Today, connectivity underpins the everyday operations of the energy sector. Without reliable network connections, the lights go off. It's that simple.