Almost three-quarters (73%) of Westminster Members of Parliament (MPs) said they believe the UK’s net zero targets can only be achieved by working with the oil and gas sector, according to a poll from industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK).
Forty-five per cent of respondents said the UK has the people and skills to deliver cleaner energy sources by developing technologies such as wind, solar, hydrogen and carbon capture, despite that 55 percent of respondents stated that the decrease in the number of applications for higher education courses related to energy are a concern.
“It’s great to see that there is an awareness among MPs of the important role our industry will play in achieving our net zero targets,” OEUK director of workforce and skills Alix Thom said in a statement.
“We have the necessary knowledge and experience, which we have honed over decades of work in the North Sea, and these skills will be needed to overcome the inevitable challenges that will come as we expand into cleaner technologies,” added Thom.
“In fact, many of our members are already developing cleaner energy projects, playing an important role in the expansion of wind, hydrogen and carbon capture,” continued Thom.
In the statement, Thom said “it is vital that we cultivate a strong national talent pipeline, which will enable the younger generation to contribute to the production of wind, hydrogen, carbon capture, use and storage, as well as oil and gas that will be necessary in the coming years”.
To achieve this change, Thom said “we need the support of politicians from all parties to highlight the importance and benefits of an energy race”.
Nick Schofield, from the University of Aberdeen’s Department of Geology and Geophysics, said: “It is recognized that oil and gas will play an important role in the UK and global energy mix up to 2050 and beyond, forming an essential part of a sustainable and fair transition”, but he added that “this message is uncomfortable for many to reconcile”.
In a statement published on the OEUK site last month, David Whitehouse, the organisation’s chief executive, said: “there is no simple choice between oil and gas or renewables – the reality is that we need both “.
“The people and skills of the offshore oil and gas sector are the same that are driving the expansion of wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, all solutions that will be key in our drive to reach net zero by 2045,” Whitehouse added.
In a separate statement in March, Whitehouse noted that oil and gas will play an important part of the UK’s energy needs and said a successful energy transition “must attract investment into our domestic oil and gas sector”. .
“If not, UK energy import bills of over GBP 100 billion will become a regular occurrence – that’s money leaving UK homes and businesses to support the sites of work, industries and economies of other countries,” he said in the statement.
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