With the UK’s onshore wind industry calling on Government to establish a new strategy for the sector, a lot has been said of the potential for repowering existing projects and whether these projects can be delivered in a post-subsidy environment.
The community energy sector in the UK has had a difficult time in recent years. 2018 saw continued reductions in the Feed-in Tariffs, and then in December 2018 the UK Government announced the closure of the Feed-in Tariff scheme to new applications from 31 March 2019.
Oil and gas companies face an increasing risk of government investigations and significant financial penalties if they do not take appropriate steps to comply with international sanctions measures.
Solar Wars Part X considered the continued willingness of arbitral tribunals to accept jurisdiction to hear claims under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) by EU investors against EU Member States, despite the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Slovak Republic v Achmea (Case C-284/16), which held that an arbitration clause in bilateral investment treaty (BIT) between two EU states contravened EU law. As a result, Spain was on the receiving end of five awards made May – August 2019. However, not all Member States which reformed their renewable incentive schemes are in the same situation; and the European Commission (EC) is taking steps to reduce the prospect of future claims by demanding the reform the ECT itself.
Psychologists know that change creates stress. And the bigger the upheaval, the greater the fear, anxiety and doubt.
Offshore Europe 2019 has precipitated a number of reports on the importance of Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) to achieving the UK’s net zero target. Indeed some commentators state that CCUS is essential; it is not an option.
A company in the US called ZeroAvia has just installed a hydrogen fuel cell powered electric powertrain in a six-seater aircraft.
In the 50 years since the first gas discovery in the West Sole field, technological innovation has driven exploration and production in the UK North Sea.
For almost 30 years I have been relentlessly battered with the oil & gas industry’s supposed track record in innovation.
In Aberdeen this week more than 36,000 global oil and gas professionals have gathered to debate, lecture, promote and celebrate the achievements of the energy industry at the biennial SPE Offshore Europe conference and exhibition.
After a number of very difficult years, a spirit of measured optimism has returned to the North Sea oil business.
When the Russian spacecraft Venera-7 touched down on the surface of Venus in December 1970, it set about a task that only a specially designed machine could do.
The development of innovative technology solutions has never been more crucial to the oil and gas industry than it is right now.
Quanta has enjoyed a major expansion over the past two years.
Barriers to digital collaboration and shared value creation and suggested strategies to overcome them.
There are contrary views on forward oil and gas prices.
There may be many ways to answer the question, ‘When did it all begin for the UKCS?’ but for the sake of argument, let’s start with the discovery of the Brent field back in 1971.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) seems to be everywhere at moment – in just the last week, two major reports have come out calling on governments in the UK to act on its delivery. Over the last year, report after report has emphasised the necessity of CCS in tackling climate change, and the urgency of deploying it in industrial clusters around the UK.
It’s fifth offshore oil & gas licensing round is likely to be the final throw of the hydrocarbons dice for the Faroe Islands.
The Oil & Gas Technology Centre is planning to set up a Net Zero Solution Centre with a view to making the UK Continental Shelf the first net zero oil & gas basin globally.
While it is becoming commonplace to hear the names of investors reported alongside the names of their investee companies who have acquired UKCS assets, obtaining investment in oil and gas projects remains a complex area for independent oil and gas companies looking to grow their presence, or international organisations hoping to invest in the UKCS.
Plant Integrity Management (PIM) believes outcome-based contracts will deliver fairer returns for all by driving innovation and subsequently improving bottom line returns and positively impacting sustainability.
Aberdeen’s destiny as a global energy capital of the 21st Century is very much in its own hands. But to fulfil this destiny it must heed the lessons of history.
In the run-up to Offshore Europe 2019, I had a cracking conversation with Simon Gray, chief executive of the lively East of England Energy Group.
Momentum is growing on a global scale to take action on climate change.
