Transition through innovation for UK oil and gas sector

  • Date: 03-Apr-2021
  • Source: Energy Voice
  • Sector:Technology
  • Country:Gulf
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Transition through innovation for UK oil and gas sector

The UK has just become the first G7 country to agree a landmark deal to support the oil and gas industry's transition to clean, green energy while supporting some 40,000 jobs. Patent expert Tomas Karger from IP firm Marks & Clerk, who specialises in energy, wireless power and telecoms, reflects on the North Sea transition deal.

In 2012, coal produced 43 per cent of the electricity in Great Britain according to Carbon Brief. Meanwhile gas, nuclear and biomass, wind, solar and hydro accounted for a combined 54 per cent. Fast forward to 2020, and these sources accounted for approximately 90 per cent of the electricity supplied. In summer last year in No coal, no problem – hope for a green future I wrote about the fact this increase could only be possible through significant investment in the infrastructure and innovation needed to make these technologies commercially viable. However, what role will the UK's oil and gas sector play in this transition to renewable energy sources? On 24 March 2021, the UK government came to an agreement with industry and released the North Sea transition deal potentially answering this question.

As recently as 2018, the oil and gas sector was estimated to support