Monday 15 September
Confirmed speakers so far:
Professor Catalina Spataru, Professor, Global Energy and Resources, and Director, UCL Energy Institute, University College London
Samuel Wróbel, Senior Marine Policy Officer, RSPB
Holly Pattenden, Head, Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Equinor
Andy Brooks, NSTA; Becky Fowell, Regen; Dai Richards, Hitachi Energy
This conference focusses on the future of the UK’s offshore sector. It will examine practical issues and strategic priorities for harnessing the full potential of the sector across energy production, employment, and economic development, alongside environmental stewardship and long-term sustainability.
Delegates will discuss the developing role of offshore wind, hydrogen, and other emerging approaches to offshore energy production, as well as how the role of oil and gas is expected to change during the transition. The development of carbon capture and storage, and other technologies aimed at supporting the clean energy transition, will also be considered. The agenda also examines how challenges can be addressed for marine spatial planning and co-locating multiple uses within shared offshore areas.
The conference will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to discuss issues emerging in the Building the North Sea’s Energy Future consultation on the transition of the North Sea from oil and gas to clean energy. As the Government considers its response, areas for discussion include calls for more streamlined regulation and coordinated infrastructure planning, strategies for managing the use of existing oil and gas alongside accelerated renewable, hydrogen and CCUS deployment, support for workforce transition, and how a coordinated approach across sectors might be achieved.
Delegates will also look at implications for stakeholders of the Industrial Strategy: Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan, identifying offshore energy as a cornerstone of the UK’s clean growth ambitions, alongside commitment of funding for offshore energy in both the 2025 Spending Review and Industrial Strategy.