North Sea oil & gas emissions cut by a third but further efforts required for UK’s net zero goals

As the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry faces a critical juncture in its emissions reduction pursuit, Great Britain’s regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), has pushed for a boost in investment to meet net zero aspirations, as current efforts fall short of long-term decarbonization targets.

While disclosing a 34% drop in oil and gas production emissions since 2018 in a new ‘Emissions Monitoring Report,’ including a 7% decrease in 2024 alone, marking five consecutive years of decline, with flaring hitting its lowest level on record, down 51% since 2018, the North Sea Transition Authority warns that this is not enough, as net zero by 2050 will require bold, large-scale investments in emissions abatement despite the 2030 goal of halving emissions being within reach.

The NSTA’s report shows projected reductions are lagging behind ambitions in the longer term unless there is significant new action; thus, it will provide impetus by enforcing the OGA Plan, which was launched in 2024 with clear requirements for operators across four areas, including electrification and low-carbon power, to make the biggest impact on production emissions, as power generation accounts for 80% of the current total.

The UK regulator’s interventions are said to have contributed to preventing the emission of 4.5 million tonnes of lifetime carbon dioxide equivalent, the same as taking 2.5 million cars off the road for a year. The tools being used to slash emissions entail electrification of offshore platforms and integration of low-carbon power sources like wind and solar, and enforcement of the OGA Plan, which mandates action in four areas.

These areas encompass electrification, flaring and venting, investment and efficiency, and emissions inventory management, crackdown on flaring and venting breaches, with £975,000 in fines issued since 2021, and support for floating offshore wind projects. According to the NSTA, more electrification and low-carbon power projects need to reach final investment decisions in the near term.

While the NSTA emphasizes that oil and gas remain vital to the UK’s energy mix, it also highlights the need for operators to act decisively to maintain public and investor confidence and ensure domestic production remains cleaner and more competitive than imports.

As these fossil fuels generate substantial tax revenues and employ tens of thousands of workers whose skills can underpin the energy transition in key areas such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen transportation and storage, and floating offshore wind power, the British regulator is engaging with operators on the technical and economic viability of electrification projects, as well as working with government and other bodies to remove barriers to investment.

Hedvig Ljungerud, NSTA’s Director of Strategy, underlined: “Bringing down production emissions by more than a third in six years shows the North Sea oil and gas industry has been getting a lot right, reflecting its commitment. However, if operators lose focus on the task at hand, the projections are clear that UK production will become less clean and less competitive compared with imports over time.

“While the UK still consumes oil and gas, the way it is produced must become progressively cleaner. We’re encouraged that good work has begun, but there is still much more to do. It is time to commit to serious, large-scale investments in emissions reduction, and secure a leading role in the North Sea’s transition into a clean energy powerhouse.”

Currently, work is underway to integrate a floating offshore wind turbine to partially power the Culzean platform, while the planned Green Volt floating wind farm has secured price guarantees from the government and could power several large oil and gas platforms.

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