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ABERDEEN, Scotland: As Britain phases out fossil fuels and pivots to renewable energy, many oil and gas workers fear they are being left behind.
The country has stopped issuing new North Sea oil and gas licences as it ramps up investment in offshore wind and other renewable energy sources.
If the energy transition plan succeeds, it could offer a future for workers in an industry now producing about 75 per cent less oil than it did at its peak at the start of the century, said observers.
But in Aberdeen – the UK’s energy capital – the shift is raising concerns that green jobs are not replacing traditional oil and gas roles quickly enough.
CONCERNS OVER JOB LOSSES
Aberdeen’s Net Zero Technology Centre is trying to help the transition to renewables by developing and deploying the technology needed.
“We co-invest with industry, we identify technology challenges, particularly ones that the energy industry in the North Sea can contribute to,” said Martyn Tulloch, the centre’s director of energy transition.
“So for example, things like deploying offshore wind which is going to be a core technology for helping Europe decarbonise - that's a big focus. We look at transitioning skills, technology, know-how from the oil and gas sector in particular into these new and growing sectors.”
Offshore electrician Andy Shirreffs believes the road ahead is uncertain.
For the past four decades, he has flown in and out from Aberdeen Airport to oil rigs deep in the North Sea, where he can spend weeks at a time.
“They're slaughtering or sacrificing the oil industry to move on to a green revolution,” said Shirreffs.
“The guys who are out here who have all the experience, the knowledge, the ability, the mental resilience to work offshore, to work on these new products - they're just getting sidelined, pushed out of the way.”
The UK government says action is needed to meet its net-zero emissions targets, stressing that the shift to renewable energy will create new opportunities for these oil and gas workers.
It has pledged to deliver 400,000 skilled clean energy jobs by 2030.
Yet, the transition may be coming too late for an industry reportedly shedding about 1,000 jobs a month, with oil and gas employment declining faster than new green roles are being created.
Research shows that about 90 per cent of skills in oil and gas are transferable to low-carbon and green energy sectors. But studies also found that low carbon jobs are still hard to come by.
PREPARING FUTURE WORKFORCE
Aberdeen’s Energy Transition Zone is helping match industry needs with the skills workers already have.
Its chief executive Maggie McGinlay said this involves building on decades of oil and gas expertise while shifting that knowledge into new industries, including offshore wind, carbon capture and hydrogen.
“Of course, central to that is ensuring that we've got a workforce with the skills that are needed for the transition,” she added.
That includes training the next generation through classes led by experienced industry professionals at vocational training provider North East Scotland College in Aberdeen.
“I don’t really see many welders nowadays and they need them now,” said one student. “So it’s just like something new to try.”
Welding – essential for maintaining oil rigs – will also be required for decommissioning them. It will also play a key role in repairing wind turbines and other renewable energy infrastructure.
“We can start in a relatively measured way, but as the job opportunities and the requirements in the industries ramp up, we can grow with that,” said Paul Smith, assistant principal of planning and communication at the college.
“We work closely with the employers to make sure that the training that we're delivering is what they need and suits the requirements.”
DEBATE OVER PRODUCTION
Oil and gas production in the North Sea has already been declining for the past 10 to 15 years, said Rosemary Harris, senior North Sea campaigner at Oil Change International, an advocacy organisation committed to raising awareness of the true costs of fossil fuels.
“We've seen North Sea oil and gas jobs halve over the last decade and that's despite governments with very positive policies towards oil and gas production,” she added.
“So effectively, what it means is the government is taking control of a situation that is already happening and is now able to shape what happens next.”
Since peaking in 1999, North Sea oil and gas production has fallen by more than 75 per cent.
The reasons range from the basin maturing – with remaining reserves becoming more expensive to extract – to global factors such as low oil prices.
However, industry leaders argue that as long as the UK still needs oil and gas, it makes more sense to produce it domestically rather than rely on imports.
“The UK is predicted to need somewhere between 10 and 15 billion barrels of oil and gas on the journey to net zero by 2050,” said David Whitehouse, chief executive at trade association Offshore Energies UK.
“Today, the UK is on track to produce less than a third of that. But with supportive policy, we could produce over half of what the UK needs. So, the opportunity is still there.”
