Oil And Gas Decommissioning Site Unveiled At Orkney

WWF Scotland Director Lang Banks has today reacted to the news that plans have been released for an Orkney oil and gas decommissioning site.

“It’s been estimated that 285 platforms and over 4,000 oil and gas wells will require to be removed from UK seas over the coming decades, leading a new multi-billion pound decommissioning industry.

“While this particular proposal will of course have to go through all the appropriate planning procedures, with the right kind of support from politicians, Scottish island and coastal communities could secure a big slice of the jobs that will come from cleaning up after the North Sea oil and gas industry.

We need to see a sensible transition away from fossil fuels.

 

“In the interests of tackling climate change, science tells us we cannot burn all the oil and gas that remains under the sea. Instead, we need to see a sensible transition away from fossil fuels, harnessing the skills of those currently employed in the sector in clean energy technologies as well as decommissioning. If done right it herald the start of a whole new chapter in the economy of the North Sea.”