LONDON, Nov. 26 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
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UK government sets outworld-leadingNorth Sea Future Plantobuilda prosperous and sustainablefutureforthe North Sea.
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New measures will implement government's manifesto commitments to manage existing oil and gas fields for theirlifespanandnottoissue newlicencesto explore new fields.
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Government delivers on promise of planforNorthSeaworkersand unionstoprotect existing jobs anddeliver thenext generation of good jobsinsectorssuch as clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and defence.
The North Sea - its communities, workers,businessesand supply chains - will be at the heart of Britain's clean energyandindustrialfuture as the UK government has today (26 November) publishedalandmarkplantoprotect existing jobs anddeliverthe next generation ofgood,new jobs.
The North Seawill continue to powerBritainformany decades to come,butdeclining oil and gas reserves over last 20 years has seen more than 70,000 jobs lost in the last decade and left an urgent needtoact now to secure its long-term future.
After years of inaction, the government is chartinga new course for the North Sea,providinga global blueprint for a fair, managed and prosperous transitionto future proof the sector.ThenewNorth Sea Future Plan, published today,sets a clear pathtogrowclean energy industries, support the management of existing oil and gas fields for their lifespan,and help North Sea workers and communities make the transition.
Theplan implements thegovernment's manifesto commitmentsto manageexistingfields for the entirety of their lifespan,andto not issuenew licences to explore new oil and gas fields.This puts the UK at the forefront of global efforts to tackle the climate crisis, reflecting the science of new fossil fuel exploration being incompatible with limiting warming to 1.5C.
As part of this,the government willintroduce new Transitional Energy Certificateswhich will enablelimitedoil and gasproductionon or nearto existing fields-so long asthisadditional productiondoes notrequirenew explorationandis already part of orlinks backtoexistingfieldsand infrastructure,andis necessary for a managed, orderly and prosperous transition.
Followingextensiveconsultation with workers and unions, thegovernment willalsoestablishtheNorth SeaJobsService-a world-leading nationalemploymentprogramme offeringtailoredend-to-end support for the currentworkforceseekingnew opportunitiesin growing industries across thegovernment'sindustrialstrategy sectors, including clean energy, defence, and advanced manufacturing.
This service will providesupportin every step ofa worker's careerjourney-from clarity on future roles,to trainingandsecuring an offer fora good job.Itbuilds on the expansion of the Energy Skills Passport to new roles and sectors, and up to £20 million funding from the UK and Scottish Governments, followingdemandfortheAberdeen skills pilotto helpoil and gas workersretrain.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
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.
Thisis a world-leading planwithworkers, unions, businesses, and communitiesat its heart, and implements in full thegovernment's manifesto commitments.It is a planwhichwill ensure that the North Seaisan energy powerhouse throughout the twenty first century.
The government willalsolaunch a newminister-leddeliveryboard of experts from across the industryand trade unions, who will meet regularlytooversee the progress,coordinationand long-term planning of the North Sea'sindustrialtransition.
TheNorth SeaFuturePlanis centred aroundthefollowingthree areas:
Growing clean energy industries
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the North Sea is Britain's greatest asset in the government's mission to become a clean energy superpower, which has galvanised over £62billionof private investment across Britain since July 2024
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itcomes alongsidethe most significant programme ofgovernmentinvestment in homegrown clean energyin British history -with£63billionin government fundingover this Parliamentconfirmed at the Spending Review earlier this year
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anew five-year plan,announced today, willhelp supply chain companies toplan aheadfor a pipeline of projects across the North Sea
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thegovernment'smodernIndustrial Strategy,announced earlier this year,willunlock billions in investment and support 1.1 million new well-paid jobs over the next decade. This includes high growth sectors where the skills andexpertiseof oil and gas workers are in demand - including advanced manufacturing,defenceand construction
Support the management of existing oil and gas fields for their lifespan
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ban on new licenceswill end new exploration for offshore oil and gas fields. It will also mean an end to new onshore licences in England, helping to meet the government's commitment to end fracking
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new Transitional Energy Certificateswill enablelimitedoil and gas productionin areas that arealready part of an existing field,or inareasadjacent toalready licensed fields,linkedvia a tieback -to help ensure theyremaineconomicallyviableand are managed for the entirety of their lifespan.Developers will notbepermittedto explore for oil and gas at these new sites
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changes totheNorth Sea Transition Authority'sobjectivesand powersto reflectthechanging nature of the North Sea basin.The regulator willbalance decisionsagainst three primaryobjectivesthat build on its existing role-to maximise societal economic value, support the Energy Secretary in meeting net zero goals,andconsiderthe long-term benefits of the transition for North Sea workers,communitiesand supply chains
Help North Sea workers and communities make the transition
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thenew North Sea JobsServicewill launchnextyearto offerend-to-end career support for oil and gas workersto take up new opportunities in growingIndustrialStrategysectors, from clean energy todefence, and advanced manufacturing. Itbuildsonasimilar programme run bytheMinistry of Defencetosupportarmed forces leaversinto new roles
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upskilling workers- theNorth Sea Jobs Service willlink up with workforce initiativesannounced last month in the Clean Energy Jobs Plan- including tailored training backed byup to£20 million from UK and Scottish Governments,andthe Energy Skills Passportthatsupportsworkers to movebetween sectors,and is set toexpandto nuclear and networks, in addition to offshore wind
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a new Fair Work Charterbetween offshore wind developers and trade unions to ensure that companiesbenefitingfrom public funding provide decent wages and strong workplace rights
Stuart Payne, Chief Executive of the North Sea Transition Authority said:
This plan provides clarity and direction for the energy industry, as well as for the North Sea Transition Authority as an organisation.
We will work together withgovernmentand industry to ensure that we continue to drive forward the transition as an enabling regulator, delivering the next chapter for the North Sea and all who rely on it.
Notes toEditors
The government is actively scaling up Britain's clean energy industries and widerindustrialsupply chains. This includes:
* £9.4 billion governmentbacking for carbon capture,usageand storage projects, over this Parliament - including development funding for Acorn and Viking projects in Scotland and the Humber.
* The government and Great British Energy have joined forces with industry and The Crown Estate to invest £1 billion in offshore wind supply chains, announced earlier this year.
* A commitment of at least £5.8 billion from the National Wealth Fundover this Parliament to invest in ports, hydrogen, carbon capture, gigafactories, and green steel, asannounced earlier this year.
* Over £500 million government funding in hydrogen infrastructure, which will support the development of the first regional hydrogen network to be in operation from 2031.
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Over £2 billion in government fundingallocatedto eleven hydrogen projectslast year. A further 27 hydrogen projects have progressed to the next stage of the second hydrogen allocation round -as announced earlier this year.
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The North Sea Future consultation response is available here.
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On1 Octoberthe Energy Secretary confirmed plans to bring forward legislation to end new onshore oil and gas licensing in England, including new licences that could be used for high volume hydraulic fracturing for shale gas extraction ("fracking").
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The government publishednewenvironmental impact assessment guidancein Junewhich allowed offshore developers to restart applications for consent to extract oil and gas in already-licensed fields - a process which had been paused since the Finch Supreme Court judgment.
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Data from OffshoreEnergiesUK shows that over 70,000jobswere lost in the North Sea oil and gas sector between 2016 and 2023.
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In Scotland, any expansion of the Energy Skills Passport to nuclear would only be in relation to nuclear decommissioning.
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The government's Clean Energy Jobs Plan confirmed that Scotland willbenefitfrom up to 60,000 clean energy jobs by 2030, a 40,000 increase from 2023.
* DESNZ analysis of Skills England data finds that oil and gas workers' skills will be in high demand in critical sectors including clean power, construction, defence, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences, with around 70% of oil and gas workers already employed in occupations identified as a priority for these sectors.North Sea oil and gas production is in natural decline, with a 75% reduction in production occurring between 1999 and 2024.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
