Hydrogen is the answer to decarbonising transport. This alternative environmentally friendly fuel can be rolled out across the UK without government subsidies and at no cost to the taxpayer – confining petrol and diesel to the dark pages of history.
By Pierre Georges, Sector Lead for EMEA Utilities at S&P Global Ratings
European governments have ambitiously raised targets for the energy transition, aiming for a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. In turn, there has been a significant push towards renewables and other low-carbon energy solutions. As Pierre Georges, Sector Lead for EMEA Utilities at S&P Global Ratings, explains, utilities that are aligned with these objectives are set to perform better over the coming decade
The COP26 conference in Glasgow in November 2021 will look to accelerate a global drive towards a net-zero economy. However, global climate policies have little relevance to the people of Africa, where the current energy mix is dominated by biomass and fossil fuels, argues David Clark, CEO of Vysus Group.
Blue hydrogen is often touted as a low-carbon fuel for generating electricity and storing energy, powering cars, trucks and trains and heating buildings. But according to a new report by Cornell and Stanford University researchers in the US, it may be no better for the climate – and potentially a fair bit worse – than continuing to use fossil natural gas, which currently keeps 85% of UK homes warm. In the US, about half of all homes use natural gas for space and water heating.
By Barry Carruthers, director of hydrogen at ScottishPower
We welcome the UK Government’s hydrogen strategy today, it’s a clear sign of the UK’s ambition to be a hydrogen leader and commitment to support a new green sector that will create jobs across the UK.
By Ian Thom, director, Middle East Upstream Research, Wood Mackenzie
Oil and gas faces an existential crisis as global efforts to reduce carbon emissions gather strength and pace. In this new paradigm, definition and assessment of risk is critical.
By Richard Haydock, project director, BP/ EnBW Irish Sea offshore wind project
Scotland, along with the rest of the world, stands on the cusp of change as the energy transition accelerates, writes bp’s Richard Haydock who joins the panel of the Energy Voice New Energy Opportunities (NEO) event.
By James McCallum, Co-Founder and Chairman of Proteus developed by Xergy
With COP26 coming to Glasgow later this year, demonstrating a leading effort in sustainability and the energy transition has never been more important to Scotland. Yet despite the innovation and drive behind Scotland’s green efforts, barriers to renewable jobs are causing a talent gap impacting the sustainable jobs market and will likely begin to hinder the country’s sustainable progress in the future.
There’s much talk about the ambitious targets that have been put in place to reduce the level of production emissions in the North Sea so that it becomes a net zero basin by 2050.
The 1990s were a brutal time in the North Sea, with the oil & gas industry largely pre-occupied with trying to recover from the 1986 global price crash and culminating with the second crash, the slide for which began in 1997 and bottomed out late 1998/early 1999.
Only two years ago, Africa seemed set to become the world's next major producer of oil and gas. International companies were scrambling to win exploration rights in frontier markets in West Africa; countries in North Africa were excited about new discoveries in the Mediterranean Sea; and natural gas was identified as a long-term transitional energy source, creating new opportunities for low-income nations such as Tanzania and Mozambique.
Usually at this time of year with Parliaments in recess the news is a little thin on the ground so journalists, broadcasters and columnists like me are required to exercise our imagination a little more. Some turn to creating conspiracy theories. I am going to provide you with some ammunition so you can create your own.
Twenty years ago, I pointed out that we were heading towards 80% of our electricity being generated from gas within two decades and 80% of that gas coming from Russia. It was true at the time.
As a consequence of low oil prices together with decommissioning rebate payments and foregone taxes, Energy Voice recently reported on falling UK Oil and Gas Government revenues.
As Big Oil becomes increasingly regarded as a pariah, so attitudes are changing in a number of Western governments towards support for smaller nations looking to develop their fossil fuel resources.
By Dylan Mitchell, director of wind and new energy at Akselos
Following the ScotWind leasing round closing on Friday 16 July, there is now great anticipation to see which applications to build Scotland’s next generation of offshore wind farms are successful.
If you take all the different energy industries, solutions and technologies laid out like a jigsaw it would create a colourful picture of where Scotland is today, with each key element playing an important part in our net-zero future.