Coming out of lockdown is a bit like coming out of hibernation
When the pandemic hit, we had no idea of what lay ahead. No one would have imagined that it would be 15 months or more before we emerged.
Opinion
EU CBAM will create complexities for supply chains
The EU Commission has announced a package of measures to enable the trading bloc to meet its 55% greenhouse gas emission reduction target that it has set itself for 2030.
Targets won’t make net zero happen, skilled people will: Energy Institute
With Energy Institute members having their say this week in the annual Energy Barometer, and the Government’s Green Jobs Task Force publishing its recommendations, EI President Steve Holliday FREng FEI welcomes fresh focus on the net zero skills issue…
Global offshore wind supply chains and local content
It was recently reported that countries are lining up for wind turbine manufacturing plants to increase local content in their domestic markets. Siemens Energy AG expressed fear about global supply chains being balanced with bringing local content. Does this precede possible bottlenecks in supply and so act as a drag on offshore wind deployment targets?
Fresh perspectives and diverse skillsets will power the energy transition
At bp, we are all guided by our ambition to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and there is a real buzz around the role that our hydrogen and CCUS business - which I began leading last year - can play. Whilst relatively nascent in their development, both technologies offer real promise for delivering clean energy provision and decarbonising heavy industry and mobility, among other sectors.
‘There is a discernible gap between the rhetoric and the reality’: Fairfield Decom MD on decision to cease trading
Following the news that Fairfield Decom will cease trading, Graeme Fergusson, managing director, shares his thoughts on the sector and the immediate risks that it faces.
Are business leaders immune to mental health challenges?
Like our physical health, we all have mental health, and occasionally, one or both may suffer. One in four people in Scotland are estimated to be affected by mental health problems. With the challenges faced over the past year, that figure is likely to be significantly higher, thus presenting an opportunity for business leaders to demonstrate authentic leadership as we prepare to go back to the workplace.
The future of health and safety in the energy transition
There is no doubt that the UK’s energy market is changing rapidly. In 2020, renewable energy accounted for 43% of the UK’s electricity generation. For the first time, clean power generated more electricity than fossil fuels.
Guyana can come to terms with its extraordinary new oil wealth
I took part recently in the fourth annual Aberdeen Guyana Gateway event hosted by Granite PR, Brett Jackson’s public relations firm, which brought together some of the key players in that country and its developing oil industry.
DAC – HG Wells and Wall-E rolled into one
I watched the BBC documentary about Greta Thunberg travelling the world with her father Svante in a quest to better understand climate change and how to combat what has undeniably become a crisis triggered by the human species.
Can’t-do attitude to manufacturing no longer acceptable
One of things that has always interested me about people is their diversity. I’m talking about their skills, interests and aspirations, because it’s that diversity and those features that to a large extent drive the shape and potential of a country’s economy.
Oil industry more engaged than ever on D&I
It could be argued it is long overdue, but the oil and gas industry is more engaged than ever in addressing Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) parity within the sector.
Early intervention: supporting the offshore workforce’s mental health
An offshore worker wears a hard hat for a reason.
North Star deal shines bright for transition to renewables
Many businesses which are traditionally linked to the North Sea oil and gas sector are uniquely positioned to take advantage of the high octane charge towards energy transition.
Bonkers system removes incentive to use cleaner energy
Energy Voice recently reported that Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn has appealed to the UK Government for clarity on a process that could remove the grid charges “millstone” from around the Scottish renewables sector's neck.
Making a comparative case for electrification over hydrogen
The energy sector is awash with the benefits of hydrogen for domestic heating. It’s the most common element in Universe, it burns to water, it can be swapped out for natural gas – it is a wonder fuel.
Report sheds light on financial implications of future powered by wind
Thirty years ago, it would have been hard to imagine that offshore wind could power every home in the UK.
Day of reckoning really has arrived for Big Oil
A few weeks ago, three of the world’s largest listed energy corporations were given a kicking of a kind that is destined to change Big Oil forever.
Hydrogen crucial for energy resilience
I live in a small village in beautiful Aberdeenshire. We have been known to suffer from power cuts here due to overhead powerline failures, storms and the occasional transformer committing hari-kari. These things do happen so, having had the importance of resilience hammered into me by my dad, who was an electrical supply engineer, I designed my energy system accordingly.
Scotland does not need more press releases but we do need a plan
A report from Robert Gordon University has won enthusiastic headlines. By 2030 it foresaw that “the offshore energy workforce mix is expected to change with over 65% of the workforce projected to support low carbon energy activities”.
Green Industrial Revolution unlocks new jobs in Scotland
As we prepare to host the United Nations’ flagship COP26 conference in November, the United Kingdom has a chance to chart a path to a more sustainable future, Building Back Greener from COVID-19 by creating new green jobs. Not only is this job creation central to delivering a sustainable recovery from the pandemic, but a cornerstone of the ambition to ‘level up’ the country as we move forward.
Mission Possible: Building an oil and gas business for the future
‘Daddy, I’ve written a letter to the Norwegian government!’ announced my 13-year old daughter Bee. When I asked her what it was about, she replied innocuously: ‘I asked the environment minister to stop oil exploration in northern Norway’.
Equality, diversity and inclusion in oil and gas: a golden opportunity to turn the tide
As a young woman taking my first tentative steps into the oil and gas industry, I was acutely aware that I was in the minority.
Apache-Exxon decom case: Is the regulator left without options? Not necessarily
Professor John Paterson, chair in Law at Aberdeen University, gives his analysis of the Exxon vs Apache High Court case on decommissioning costs.
Energy investment opportunities in Africa
The cards have been shuffled on the global investment table and all eyes are on Africa, writes Hasnaine Yavarhoussen, CEO of Groupe Filatex.