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Rhyl Journal
22-05-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Oil and gas workers face ‘unjust transition' with no plan, commission warns
The Just Transition Commission said urgent action is needed to ensure the transition from fossil fuels to renewables happens fairly. 'Without urgent and ambitious action, investment and Government leadership, Scotland's offshore transition will not take place fairly, with harmful effects on workers, communities, employers and the regional economy of the north east that could otherwise be avoided,' the report said. The independent advisory body warned an unjust transition is possible despite it being known for decades that the North Sea oil and gas sector would decline. Oil and gas workers in Aberdeen told the commission they fear a 'cliff edge' for their livelihoods. The report said: 'In the context of global economic volatility, the pace and sequencing of the transition will be unjust if determined mainly by turbulent commodity prices. 'The fragmented nature of both the fossil fuel and renewables industries makes effective planning more challenging, but also more critical. 'To avoid harms to workers and communities and support new industry, governments must now take a bold, innovative approach that maximises leverage to set standards, establish pathways, create jobs, and manage shocks.' The commission said more needs to be done to support jobs in the offshore renewable energy sector, including wind, decommissioning and green hydrogen – areas it said are expected to see 'rapid' growth. The expert group said: 'Renewables have a key role to play in delivering a just transition provided robust minimum standards are achieved across the industry for pay, conditions, health and safety regulation and union recognition.' It called for a 'clear plan' to be developed for building up Scotland's renewables supply chain that could help mitigate the job losses seen in the fossil fuel sector. It said oil and gas workers need a 'credible offer' from the Government to retrain in green industries. Professor Dave Reay, co-chair of the commission, said: 'There's a real risk now that we are looking at a repeat of previous unjust transitions in coal and steel, where a lack of anticipatory planning left workers and communities abandoned at the sharp end of industrial change.' Satwat Rehman, fellow co-chair of the commission, added: 'As the role of oil and gas in the economy of the north east inevitably continues to phase down, we need our governments to work together urgently on a credible plan to support workers whose livelihoods are tied to fossil fuels, from drill crews to caterers, move into new roles. 'Their skills and experience are hugely valuable and we need a plan to make sure Scotland makes the most of them, whether in our rapidly growing clean energy sector or the wider economy.' A spokesperson for the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: 'We have taken rapid steps to deliver the next generation of good jobs for North Sea workers in a fair and orderly transition as part of our Plan for Change, including by making the biggest investment in offshore wind and two first-of-a-kind carbon capture storage clusters. 'This comes alongside Great British Energy, which has already announced a £300 million investment in British supply chains, unlocking significant investment and helping to create thousands of skilled jobs, progressing our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower.' The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
Telegraph
10-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Labour hands SNP power to speed up roll-out of wind farms across Scottish countryside
The rollout of more wind farms across Scotland's countryside is to be hugely accelerated under new legislation agreed by Labour and SNP ministers. Michael Shanks, the UK energy minister, said that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill would 'slash' the time it takes for developers to gain approval to erect wind turbines and electricity pylons. The Labour MP for Rutherglen said that the legislation would cut 'excessive' and 'costly' delays of up to four years and reduce 'the need for costly, lengthy public inquiries'. The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it was working with SNP ministers to update 'outdated planning rules' in Scotland that were holding back large energy developments. But the Tories have accused Labour and the SNP of conspiring 'to ride roughshod over local opinion' opposing more wind farms being erected in Scotland. They claimed both the UK and Scottish governments were 'completely disconnected when it comes to realising the impact railroading through certain projects'. Scotland had an installed capacity of over 10.1GW in onshore wind that generated 4,528GWh in the third quarter of 2024. This forms almost two thirds of the UK-wide total of about 15.5GW. But SNP ministers have introduced a new target for a minimum installed capacity of 20GW by 2030, doubling the current operational total north of the border. Their latest planning framework relaxed controls on building more turbines, with protections watered down for unspoiled wild land. The SNP wind power target also included replacing existing turbines that may be coming to the end of their working life with even taller and larger versions, a process called 'repowering'. Currently, it can take up to four years to approve large electricity infrastructure projects in Scotland, such as power lines and onshore wind farms, under UK legislation that has been in place since 1989. This is about double the delay for new large electricity projects in England and Wales, and the new Bill aims to drastically reduce the timescale in Scotland. Mr Shanks said: 'These much-needed reforms to Scotland's outdated planning rules will slash the time it takes to approve clean electricity projects while ensuring local voices are heard at an earlier stage – helping deliver our Plan for Change and build an energy system that can bring down bills for good. 'These reforms will end avoidable delays by making the application process more efficient and reducing the need for costly, lengthy public inquiries which hold up the clean power projects we need to deliver more renewable electricity and strengthen our energy security.' But Douglas Lumsden, the Scottish Tories' shadow net zero and energy secretary, said: 'Communities up and down Scotland will be dismayed that Labour and the SNP are working hand in hand and continuing with their proposals to ride roughshod over local opinion. 'Both governments are completely disconnected when it comes to realising the impact railroading through certain projects would have on rural Scotland in particular. 'It is typical of them to believe they know best and it confirms this so-called consultation was nothing more than a tick-box exercise.' The legislation gives SNP ministers new powers to allow the Scottish Government to revoke or vary planning consents for energy infrastructure projects under specific circumstances. This will allow for changes to be made without the developer having to restart the process. Objectors will only have six weeks to appeal a decision to give an application the green light. However, there is a requirement that developers must 'engage' with local communities before submitting an application to the Scottish Government.
