The Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has claimed the electrification of the proposed Rosebank oil field from the Viking windfarm would harm energy security.
During a Westminster debate this week, Ms Lucas claimed that if the controversial oil field is electrified by SSE’s Viking onshore windfarm the decision would “actively reduce the UK’s energy security”.
It is worth noting that the electrification option has not been confirmed by Equinor or its partners.
The decision to go ahead with this would prevent local communities from using the power supplied by the renewable energy source, the Green Party MP explained.
© PA WireShe said: “That is clean, cheap energy that should be used to power hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, not an enormous oil field.”
Viking is a 103-turbine windfarm, capable of producing enough energy to power the equivalent of almost half a million homes, including every home in Shetland.
An interconnector, to export power to the mainland, is planned.
On Shetland itself, National Records of Scotland show there were 23,000 people as of June 30, 2021.
Electrifying west of Shetland
In December Rosebank operator, Equinor, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BP and Ithaca Energy to explore electrification options for their West of Shetland oil and gas projects.
An Equinor spokesman told Energy Voice: “BP is in lead of the industry group looking into West of Shetland electrification.”
The firm behind the controversial oil field added that “no decisions have been taken yet” with regard to electrification options.
© Supplied by TeekayEquinor said: “Rosebank has the potential to strengthen energy security with oil and gas that is produced with a much lower carbon footprint than current UK production.
“The field will have a low carbon footprint compared to the current UK Continental Shelf average already, before electrification. With electrification, it will be even lower.”
The firm also explained that the electrification schedule is determined by a number of factors, including, confirmation of the power source, grid connections and necessary offshore and onshore consenting.
Viking and electrification
It has been previously reported that there is a possibility Viking could provide power to offshore oil and gas assets.
In 2021 Energy Voice reported that the Kergord HVDC converter station, being built by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), on Shetland in tandem with SSE Renewables’ Viking, “could one day” provide power to oil and gas fields.
Development of the Kergord HVDC converter station is in stage four of five, according to SSEN, this is defined as when people, contractors and equipment have been mobilised by the firm and the project is “project is well underway”.
An SSE Renewables spokesman told Energy Voice: “When complete, the 103-turbine, 443MW onshore wind farm will harness the excellent wind conditions in Shetland to be capable of producing enough energy to power the equivalent of almost half a million homes, including every home in Shetland.
“SSE Renewables is committed to playing a crucial role in contributing towards the UK and Scotland’s net zero targets.”
The possibility of this has started making headlines more recently as protestors have taken a stand against the idea as UK regulators get closer to making their decision on the future of the West of Shetland development.
Director of Uplift, a pressure group aiming for a fossil-free UK, Tessa Khan took to Twitter and addressed the concerns raised by Ms Lucas recently.
Moreover, electrifying Rosebank could involve diverting renewable energy that could be used to power many thousands of UK homes–energy that could help bring down people's bills & support our energy security, unlike Rosebank's oil which will be overwhelmingly exported.
/6— Tessa Khan (@tessakhan) June 26, 2023
Ms Khan wrote: “Electrifying Rosebank could involve diverting renewable energy that could be used to power many thousands of UK homes–energy that could help bring down people’s bills & support our energy security, unlike Rosebank’s oil which will be overwhelmingly exported.”
The director of the climate group added: “We’re also going to need all the wind energy we can get to decarbonise our grid at pace if the UK is going to meet its climate targets.
“Diverting that to power oil rigs when the world is already on track to produce more oil than we can burn in a 1.5C world seems…questionable”
SSE has been asked for comment on the likelihood of the Viking collaboration with Rosebank and claims that a deal between the two assets would impact UK energy security.
Rosebank to ‘blow’ UK carbon budget
Caroline Lucas also said: “Rosebank’s emissions would blow the allowance in the UK’s carbon budget for oil and gas production, exceeding the CCC’s recommendation in the sixth carbon budget by 17%.”
These are claims that Uplift also made earlier this year, but these have been disputed by the North Sea Transition Authority.
The regulator said in April it has “full confidence” in data which shows the sector is “on track” to reach its emissions reduction target by the end of the decade, if not surpass it, when asked about the topic earlier this year.
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