The UK has indicated that it will issue permits for oil and gas extraction in existing North Sea fields as part of a managed plan to protect jobs and grow clean energy industries.
The North Sea will continue to power Britain for many decades to come, but declining oil and gas reserves over the last 20 years has seen more than 70,000 jobs lost in the last decade and left an urgent need to act now to secure its long-term future, the government said on Wednesday (26 November).
The new North Sea Future Plansets a clear path to grow clean energy industries, support the management of existing oil and gas fields for their lifespan, and help North Sea workers and communities make the transition.
As part of this, the government will introduce new Transitional Energy Certificates which will enable limited oil and gas production on or near to existing fields – so long as this additional production does not require new exploration and is already part of or links back to existing fields and infrastructure, and is necessary for a managed, orderly, and prosperous transition.
Following extensive consultation with workers and unions, the government will also establish the North Sea Jobs Service – a world-leading national employment programme offering tailored end-to-end support for the current workforce seeking new opportunities in growing industries across the government’s industrial strategy sectors, including clean energy, defence, and advanced manufacturing.
“The North Sea’s workers and communities have helped power our country and our world for decades. This is our plan to ensure they continue to do so for many decades to come,” said Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
“This is a world-leading plan with workers, unions, businesses, and communities at its heart, and it implements in full the government’s manifesto commitments. It is a plan which will ensure that the North Sea is an energy powerhouse throughout the twenty-first century.”
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