Wireline Issue 44 - Spring 2019

within the UK renewables sector so that the majority of UK demand is met with indigenous sources and any excess can be sold. This is the context for Vision 2035 and the future of the UK oil and gas sector. Vision 2035, an industry-wide initiative to raise awareness and secure understanding of the long-term future of the industry, will also equip the industry to play a more proactive and prominent role in the energy transition (see p. 18). It is also about enabling companies that have developed expertise here in the UK, for example in subsea engineering, offshore operations or decommissioning, to export their know-how and technology to other parts of the world, building the UK’s share of the global energy services market. Duringtheperiodto2035,theoffshoresectorcontinues to explore and enact ways to lower the carbon intensity of production; for example, via the decommissioning of older, less efficient installations and upgrading to modern, energy-efficient technology and equipment. For Oil & Gas UK’s stakeholder and communications director Gareth Wynn, this is the key message that unites the goals of both the energy transition and Vision 2035: “In this way, today’s oil and gas industry will secure its long-term future in providing the UK’s energy, provide rewarding jobs and careers and will continue to contribute billions to the economy.” Outlining the role of oil and gas will continue to have in the energy mix and the important role our industry plays economically and as an enabler of the future will be a key part of ensuring that we enable the Government to maintain the fiscal and regulatory environment that is needed to encourage continued investment in UK offshore oil and gas.”

at an industrial scale. This process does release carbon dioxide; however, the amounts released for each unit of energy produced is a lot lower than other fuels and their generation processes. Additionally, widespread adoption of hydrogen will require new supplies of gas feedstock if the fuel is to be affordable. Hydrogen can be reacted with oxygen in a fuel cell to generate electricity or burnt to produce heat (the by-product from both these processes only being water), enabling decarbonisation in energy end use. Potentially, the carbon implications of steam methane reformation can be resolved by pairing the process with CCUS technology. The environmental policies decided by the government will play a key part in ensuring emissions reduction and the success of a potential shift to hydrogen. “A shift is needed for policy that deals with the large-scale, innovative interventions such as technology, where the UK has an industrial advantage. For example, the development of CCUS,” Will adds. In fact, carbon capture technology is key for the next phase of the energy transition, as an area where the UK can become a role model for the rest of the world. Sufficient investment could both boost regional industrial growth and support decarbonisation across the whole UK economy. Vision 2035 The UK’s demand for oil and gas will exceed what can be produced domestically, even with nationwide efforts to decarbonise. In that regard, UK oil and gas production is not competing with renewables but with imported oil and gas supplies. To stay competitive with other sources, the challenge will be to develop and create opportunities

Image above: Turbine mating at Equinor’s HyWind project. Credit: Ørjan Richardsen / Equinor

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