Moray MP Douglas Ross has welcomed the announcement of a £16bn North Sea Transition Deal as a “landmark” moment for the energy sector.
The UK Government has committed to supporting the oil and gas industry to continue the shift to the development of cleaner forms of energy.
The deal between government and industry will harness the existing skills base and infrastructure to exploit new and emerging technologies such as hydrogen production, carbon capture usage and storage and offshore wind.
The industry has agreed to cut its emission by 50% by 2030, while it has also committed to ensuring that half of all decommissioning and new energy technology projects will be provided by local business to ‘anchor’ jobs in the UK.
Scottish Conservative MP for Moray Douglas Ross said:
“This is a landmark moment for the North Sea oil and gas sector.
“For so long the engine room of the north-east and wider UK economy, the energy industry is very much at a crossroads.
“Industry leaders fully understand the need to adapt to help meet our ambitious target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
“At the same time, there are still tens of thousands of jobs in the north-east alone that are dependent upon oil and gas – and we cannot simply turn off the taps and import our energy from abroad.
“The North Sea Transition Deal will support the industry to switch its focus to the development of next generation, cleaner forms of energy.
“The UK Government has made clear that it will stand with the workers and the supply chain companies to make sure that no-one is left behind.
“It will also create the environment to attract new industrial sectors to base themselves here in Scotland and anchor high-value jobs.
“I have no doubt that the north-east of Scotland can shift to become a global centre of excellence for low-carbon technologies - and export that knowledge around the world.
“Many people in Moray are employed in the oil and gas sector so this transition deal is vitally important to them.”