The renowned UK subsea industry has lost 20% of its capability due to recent oil downturns, according to a membership body - and there's an urgent need for joined-up thinking to deliver on the "tsunami" of energy transition opportunity ahead.
Around 3,000 attendees are expected in Aberdeen this week as the Subsea Expo conference and exhibition returns, marking the first major in-person industry event for Aberdeen since the pandemic.
“You would like to think it was good planning,” joked Neil Gordon, chief executive of the Global Underwater Hub (GUH), “but I think it’s just fortunate that, at the moment, it looks as if everything has landed well for us.”
Leaders from government, offshore energy, renewables, defence and aquaculture will gather in Aberdeen later this month for a much-anticipated conference.
Maybe yesterday should be renamed Green Monday rather than Blue Monday. It was certainly a day to celebrate the ambition for renewable energy in Scotland as the ScotWind licencing round was announced with provision for significantly more GW than anticipated.
Organisers say it is their intention to continue with the flagship Subsea Expo event in February, despite the cancellation of SPE Offshore Europe amid rising omicron cases.
By Neil Gordon, chief executive, Global Underwater Hub
In a year that continued to be dominated by the pandemic and the rapid acceleration of the energy transition, both the underwater industry and its representative body have been evolving.
The Global Underwater Hub (GUH) has announced a series of senior appointments to deliver its ambition of transforming the underwater industry in the UK.
After nearly two years in which we have all faced challenges operationally, economically, and personally, there is much to look forward to for the underwater sector in 2022 and we prepare for the new year with confidence. There is much to be optimistic about in terms of the energy transition and the blue economy.
After nearly two decades leading the sector, Subsea UK has officially become the Global Underwater Hub as focus increasingly turns to global export opportunities.
“The opportunities to make a difference, to be involved in something that becomes a legacy…as you get older you realise those opportunities are not every day.”
In between the Teams and Zoom calls, which now fill our days, and the odd webinar or two, it’s becoming increasingly evident that the oil and gas industry needs to have some serious conversations about value.
When lockdown was first announced, Sentinel Subsea didn’t envisage that 15 weeks later, we would have developed and secured a field trial for our second well integrity monitoring system.