Let’s be clear about what “just transition” actually is and why it is the energy revolution now gaining momentum as the core driver of the colossal changes that human society must undergo globally, or else.
I rate Equinor highly in most areas of corporate ambition when it comes to net zero, support for its supply chain and above all, how it treats its staff.
By Szebasztian Csernik-Tihn, Hydrogen UK economic analyst
The UK sits on a potential energy goldmine. The British Geological Survey estimates the nation could store up to 3,000 TWh of hydrogen – a staggering figure dwarfing the 60-100 TWh that the Royal Society said would be needed by 2050.
On the face of it, there is a paradox. Rachel Reeves has inherited a massive black hole in public spending. Large scale infrastructure projects are being cut, left, right and centre.
Getting to net zero, producing oil and gas from the North Sea as we transition, and ensuring economic benefits for the UK don’t make an obvious trinity, and we are well aware of tensions.
The holiday season is upon us, and while it's often considered ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, it can also be one of the most stressful and overwhelming for some, if not many.
By Jenny Curtis, Managing Director of Vattenfall Heat UK
No more public money should go into hydrogen for domestic heating because electrification is the only viable means of decarbonising heating and hot water in UK homes, writes Jenny Curtis, managing director of Vattenfall Heat UK.
By Graham Carberry, Managing Director at Arrowpoint Advisory
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Energy was one of the fastest growing segments within 2022’s record global M&A market, rising an impressive 25% from the year prior, according to the latest Arrowpoint Advisory data.
By Professor Jo Porter, INSITE and Heriot-Watt University
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The North Sea is at a turning point. Hundreds of rigs and their associated marine infrastructure are set to be decommissioned. Oil and gas platforms will begin to move out, and infrastructure for offshore renewable energy will move in.
In the Spring Budget, the Chancellor confirmed nuclear as “environmentally sustainable” removing an element of uncertainty which will enable the UK to plan and finance nuclear energy infrastructure in the long term. However, building confidence in technology and equipment will be key for the UK Government in delivering new nuclear power generation.
It’s clear that hydrogen produced from renewable energy will play an important role in supporting our transition away from fossil fuels to a low carbon energy system.
By Patrick Hanson, Senior Geothermal Development Manager, Expro
Transitioning to a sustainable energy future requires the increased and widespread use of renewable energy sources like geothermal, hydroelectric, solar, wind, and bioenergy.
While each renewable energy source competes for market share, a coordinated effort from all renewables is required to meet carbon neutrality objectives.
By Alan Muirhead, UK Country Director, Neptune Energy
This month, millions of people around the world observed World Mental Health Day, supporting its 2022 theme of making mental health for all a global priority.
Unlike water or gas, in the UK geothermal energy is not recognised by law as a natural resource. Bespoke regulatory systems, licensing and management are urgently needed along with government support to develop the UK’s geothermal sector, writes Dr Corinna Abesser of the British Geological Survey.
The war in Ukraine has jolted European politicians into finally understanding that overdependence on imported energy can carry extreme risks. What they haven’t understand yet though is that you can’t just turn off one set of taps and turn on another.
“Put simply, a just transition is about moving to an environmentally sustainable economy (that’s the ‘transition’ part) without leaving workers in polluting industries behind,” says NGO Greenpeace
I’m a little bemused. Inevitably the ScotWind lease awards were going to trigger all sorts of claims about how the Scottish offshore wind supply chain will gain from this huge project, but nobody seems prepared to explain exactly how this will happen given that we don’t actually have a supply chain of any note particularly when it comes to the high value hardware.
It has been more than 20 years in the making, but at last Aberdeen has got its big chance to prove that it really can become a major player in offshore renewables and especially wind.
A couple of weeks ago, a Scottish green party MSP claimed that it is only the “hard right” who continue to support development of the Cambo oilfield on the UK Atlantic Frontier.