Latest news with #NSTA
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
French energy giant wins legal battle to shut down North Sea oil fields
Ed Miliband's net zero push has helped a French energy giant win a legal battle to decommission a key North Sea energy hub – killing off five oil fields in the process. On Tuesday, Paris-based TotalEnergies won a High Court victory to close the Gryphon floating production platform which is anchored 200 miles north-east of Aberdeen. Judges relied on Mr Miliband's net zero targets as justification to close the site, backing an original decision by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), which had been opposed by rival oil groups. The Gryphon produced up to 2pc of UK oil and gas production, and its closure will mean 200 job losses with an estimated 9m barrels of known oil reserves left in the ground, plus £150m in lost tax revenue for the Treasury. Total is cutting back operations in UK waters linked to Mr Miliband's crackdown on offshore oil and gas as well as the 78pc tax on offshore profits imposed by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor. Its decommissioning plans were originally approved by the NSTA partly because reduced oil and gas production would cut UK greenhouse gas emissions and so help achieve net zero. However, they were strongly opposed by Nobel Upstream, which used the Gryphon to store output from two adjacent oil fields – and wanted Total to keep in use. Nobel has now lost its judicial review of the NSTA's decision – opening the way for the Gryphon vessel to be removed and the underlying oil fields permanently decommissioned. The NSTA's role is advisory – the final approval for decommissioning the fields now rests with the Government's Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning. This is part of Mr Miliband's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The judgment said: 'By taking account of the societal costs of carbon [emissions] the NSTA produced a more accurate assessment of the value to the UK of extracting the petroleum and so assisted the Secretary of State to achieve net zero because an emission-generating activity, the full societal cost of which outweighed its benefits, would not continue.' Richard Tice, Reform UK's energy spokesman, said: 'This is a shocking, negligent decision by a judge overly focused on net zero. 'The consequence is the loss of hundreds of jobs, millions of barrels of oil and hundreds of millions worth of value to the UK economy.' Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, said: 'We know we'll be needing oil and gas for decades to come so we should be making the most of our resources in the North Sea. ' A Nobel spokesman said the company was deeply disappointed and warned the case would set a precedent that could see many more such closures. 'This decision supporting the shutting in of some 12,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of oil and gas production will only hasten the demise of the North Sea, where the tax and regulatory regimes are already punitive,' he said. The Gryphon is a giant floating production, storage and offloading vessel over the Gryphon North and Gryphon South oil and gas fields. It also receives output from two Nobel oil fields – the 'Maclure' and 'Ballindalloch' – with all its gas exported directly to the UK mainland, where it enters the national gas grid to support power stations and heat millions of homes. Production was halted by Total earlier this year and the final closure decision marks the latest blow to the North Sea, which is in rapid decline amid the Government's retreat from oil and gas. It comes after Donald Trump hit out at the UK's taxes on North Sea oil while in Scotland last month, saying the resource is a 'treasure chest' for the country. Derek Thomson, Unite's Scottish secretary, said: 'Thousands of jobs in the oil and gas sector are under threat. The deep concern for Unite is that TotalEnergies' plan for the Gryphon remains premature and the judicial review's outcome could have a domino effect across the North Sea.' Michelle Thomson, the SNP MSP for Falkirk East, said: 'It's terrible news that TotalEnergies intend to shut down their floating storage and associated oil fields. This can only result in the loss of jobs that will have a much wider impact across the entire sector and undermine any attempts to have a just transition.' TotalEnergies did not reply to requests for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
French energy giant wins legal battle to shut down North Sea oil fields
Ed Miliband's net zero push has helped a French energy giant win a legal battle to decommission a key North Sea energy hub – killing off five oil fields in the process. On Tuesday, Paris-based TotalEnergies won a High Court victory to close the Gryphon floating production platform which is anchored 200 miles north-east of Aberdeen. Judges relied on Mr Miliband's net zero targets as justification to close the site, backing an original decision by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), which had been opposed by rival oil groups. The Gryphon produced up to 2pc of UK oil and gas production, and its closure will mean 200 job losses with an estimated 9m barrels of known oil reserves left in the ground, plus £150m in lost tax revenue for the Treasury. Total is cutting back operations in UK waters linked to Mr Miliband's crackdown on offshore oil and gas as well as the 78pc tax on offshore profits imposed by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor. Its decommissioning plans were originally approved by the NSTA partly because reduced oil and gas production would cut UK greenhouse gas emissions and so help achieve net zero. However, they were strongly opposed by Nobel Upstream, which used the Gryphon to store output from two adjacent oil fields – and wanted Total to keep in use. Nobel has now lost its judicial review of the NSTA's decision – opening the way for the Gryphon vessel to be removed and the underlying oil fields permanently decommissioned. The judgment said: 'By taking account of the societal costs of carbon [emissions] the NSTA produced a more accurate assessment of the value to the UK of extracting the petroleum and so assisted the Secretary of State to achieve net zero because an emission-generating activity, the full societal cost of which outweighed its benefits, would not continue.' Richard Tice, Reform UK's energy spokesman, said: 'This is a shocking, negligent decision by a judge overly focused on net zero. 'The consequence is the loss of hundreds of jobs, millions of barrels of oil and hundreds of millions worth of value to the UK economy.' Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, said: 'We know we'll be needing oil and gas for decades to come so we should be making the most of our resources in the North Sea. ' A Nobel spokesman said the company was deeply disappointed and warned the case would set a precedent that could see many more such closures. 'This decision supporting the shutting in of some 12,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of oil and gas production will only hasten the demise of the North Sea, where the tax and regulatory regimes are already punitive,' he said. The Gryphon is a giant floating production, storage and offloading vessel over the Gryphon North and Gryphon South oil and gas fields. It also receives output from two Nobel oil fields – the 'Maclure' and 'Ballindalloch' – with all its gas exported directly to the UK mainland, where it enters the national gas grid to support power stations and heat millions of homes. Production was halted by Total earlier this year and the final closure decision marks the latest blow to the North Sea, which is in rapid decline amid the Government's retreat from oil and gas. It comes after Donald Trump hit out at the UK's taxes on North Sea oil while in Scotland last month, saying the resource is a 'treasure chest' for the country. Derek Thomson, Unite's Scottish secretary, said: 'Thousands of jobs in the oil and gas sector are under threat. The deep concern for Unite is that TotalEnergies' plan for the Gryphon remains premature and the judicial review's outcome could have a domino effect across the North Sea.' Michelle Thomson, the SNP MSP for Falkirk East, said: 'It's terrible news that TotalEnergies intend to shut down their floating storage and associated oil fields. This can only result in the loss of jobs that will have a much wider impact across the entire sector and undermine any attempts to have a just transition.' TotalEnergies did not reply to requests for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sign in to access your portfolio
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
French energy giant wins legal battle to shut down North Sea oil fields
Ed Miliband's net zero push has helped a French energy giant win a legal battle to decommission a key North Sea energy hub – killing off five oil fields in the process. On Tuesday, Paris-based TotalEnergies won a High Court victory to close the Gryphon floating production platform which is anchored 200 miles north-east of Aberdeen. Judges relied on Mr Miliband's net zero targets as justification to close the site, backing an original decision by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), which had been opposed by rival oil groups. The Gryphon produced up to 2pc of UK oil and gas production, and its closure will mean 200 job losses with an estimated 9m barrels of known oil reserves left in the ground, plus £150m in lost tax revenue for the Treasury. Total is cutting back operations in UK waters linked to Mr Miliband's crackdown on offshore oil and gas as well as the 78pc tax on offshore profits imposed by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor. Its decommissioning plans were originally approved by the NSTA partly because reduced oil and gas production would cut UK greenhouse gas emissions and so help achieve net zero. However, they were strongly opposed by Nobel Upstream, which used the Gryphon to store output from two adjacent oil fields – and wanted Total to keep in use. Nobel has now lost its judicial review of the NSTA's decision – opening the way for the Gryphon vessel to be removed and the underlying oil fields permanently decommissioned. The judgment said: 'By taking account of the societal costs of carbon [emissions] the NSTA produced a more accurate assessment of the value to the UK of extracting the petroleum and so assisted the Secretary of State to achieve net zero because an emission-generating activity, the full societal cost of which outweighed its benefits, would not continue.' Richard Tice, Reform UK's energy spokesman, said: 'This is a shocking, negligent decision by a judge overly focused on net zero. 'The consequence is the loss of hundreds of jobs, millions of barrels of oil and hundreds of millions worth of value to the UK economy.' Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, said: 'We know we'll be needing oil and gas for decades to come so we should be making the most of our resources in the North Sea. ' A Nobel spokesman said the company was deeply disappointed and warned the case would set a precedent that could see many more such closures. 'This decision supporting the shutting in of some 12,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of oil and gas production will only hasten the demise of the North Sea, where the tax and regulatory regimes are already punitive,' he said. The Gryphon is a giant floating production, storage and offloading vessel over the Gryphon North and Gryphon South oil and gas fields. It also receives output from two Nobel oil fields – the 'Maclure' and 'Ballindalloch' – with all its gas exported directly to the UK mainland, where it enters the national gas grid to support power stations and heat millions of homes. Production was halted by Total earlier this year and the final closure decision marks the latest blow to the North Sea, which is in rapid decline amid the Government's retreat from oil and gas. It comes after Donald Trump hit out at the UK's taxes on North Sea oil while in Scotland last month, saying the resource is a 'treasure chest' for the country. Derek Thomson, Unite's Scottish secretary, said: 'Thousands of jobs in the oil and gas sector are under threat. The deep concern for Unite is that TotalEnergies' plan for the Gryphon remains premature and the judicial review's outcome could have a domino effect across the North Sea.' Michelle Thomson, the SNP MSP for Falkirk East, said: 'It's terrible news that TotalEnergies intend to shut down their floating storage and associated oil fields. This can only result in the loss of jobs that will have a much wider impact across the entire sector and undermine any attempts to have a just transition.'
Daily Record
29-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Donald Trump declares North Sea oil is a 'treasure chest' for UK in latest attack on renewable energy
The US President said the UK could make a "vast fortune" if companies were given more incentives to drill in the North Sea. Donald Trump has declared the North Sea is a "treasure chest" for the UK as he attacked Westminster's tax regime for oil and gas firms. The US President, a regular critic of renewable energy, said the country could make a "vast fortune" if companies were given more incentives to drill in the area. In a statement shared on social media shortly before he opened a second golf course in Aberdeenshire today, Trump said: "North Sea Oil is a treasure chest for the United Kingdom. The taxes are so high, however, that it makes no sense. "They have essentially told drillers and oil companies that, 'we don't want you'. Incentivise the drillers, fast. A vast fortune to be made for the UK, and far lower energy costs for the people." Trump previously spoke out against wind farms at a press conference on Monday alongside Keir Starmer. The president said: "Wind is the most expensive form of energy and it destroys the beauty of your plains and your fields and your waterways. "Look out there, there's no windmills but if you look in another direction you see windmills, when we go to Aberdeen you'll see some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen. They're the height of a 50-storey building. And you can take 1,000 times more energy out of a hole in the ground this big, this big, it's called oil and gas." Oil and gas has been extracted from the North Sea for 60 years but production peaked in 1999 and has been declining since. The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) - which issues licences - estimates there are about two billion barrels of "unlicensed" oil remains. But in 2023 the industry produced 440 million barrels, so these unlicensed sources would only provide another five years of oil and gas. The UK Government is opposed to issuing new exploration licenses but will honour those previously agreed - paving the way for the massive Rosebank field north-west of Shetland to be given the go-ahead. Uplift, which campaigns for a "rapid and fair transition away from oil and gas production", said the President was misguided. Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said: "Donald Trump's knowledge of the North Sea is clearly limited to his view from his golf course. His demand for more drilling is pure fantasy – it will do nothing to provide us with an affordable supply of energy. New drilling won't cut bills and, after 50 years of extraction, the basin is fast running out of gas – that's geology not a political choice. "The reason the UK's energy bills are high is because of our reliance on expensive gas – and the way to reduce them is to shift to homegrown renewable energy, offshore wind in particular, which the UK is lucky to have in abundance. Why on earth would Scotland forego some of the best wind resources on the planet and abandon an industry that is vital to replacing declining oil and gas jobs."
Associated Press
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
First Student Awarded NSTA's 2025 Go Yellow, Go Green Award for Leadership in Advancing Zero-Emission School Transportation
CINCINNATI, July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- First Student, the company setting the standard for innovation in school transportation, has been awarded the Go Yellow, Go Green award by the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) for its leadership in the electrification of student transportation. The award recognizes First Student's leadership in advancing electric school bus adoption and its ongoing commitment to delivering cleaner, safer, and more sustainable transportation solutions for students and communities. First Student operates North America's largest electric school bus fleet, having driven more than 7 million electric miles with a fleet of over 550 electric buses. The zero-emission buses are helping reduce emissions in more than 100 school districts across the U.S. and Canada. Through strategic partnerships with federal, state, and local programs, First Student has also secured funding for more than 2,000 additional electric buses, further accelerating its impact. 'Our commitment to electrification is not just about reducing emissions, it's about improving the health and well-being of the students we serve and the communities they call home,' said Kevin Matthews, Head of Electrification at First Student. 'Receiving the NSTA Go Yellow, Go Green Award is a meaningful recognition of our team's dedication to making student transportation cleaner, quieter, and safer every day.' 'First Student is a forward-thinking company whose commitment to student transportation goes well beyond sustainable, electric buses, it's about building a healthier future for every child who rides them,' said Mick Iskric, superintendent of Steelton-Highspire School District. 'From the start, the First Student team made the complex transition to electric buses feel achievable for our district. Their dedication to understanding our needs, answering questions and truly becoming a partner has made a lasting impact, not only on our district but on the students we serve every day. Because of their support, our students now ride quieter, cleaner buses and our community is seeing the real environmental benefits.' First Student's leadership in sustainability goes beyond fleet electrification. The company's Destination Zero initiative aims to transition 30,000 diesel buses to electric by 2035, a milestone projected to eliminate more than 1.6 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. These efforts reflect First Student's broader commitment to student health, environmental stewardship, and redefining the future of school transportation. About First Student First Student is reimagining the school bus experience for 5.5 million students across North America every single day. As the undisputed leader in K-12 transportation, the company is on pace to complete 1 billion student rides during the 2025-26 school year, delivering not just students, but confidence, reliability, and peace of mind to families and school districts alike. Backed by a workforce of highly trained drivers and an industry-leading fleet of 45,000 vehicles, including electric buses, First Student is a mission-driven partner in education. Recently named one of Fast Company's 2025 Most Innovative Companies, First Student offers cutting-edge services including special needs transportation, AI route optimization, fleet electrification, vehicle maintenance services, and charter services. First Student's impact extends beyond logistics: every ride is designed to be a safe and supportive space where students can start their day with a great experience. With innovation at our core, First Student is driving the future of student transportation one ride at a time. Contact Brenna Rudisill [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE First Student
