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Research by Robert Gordon University estimates that the green energy industry would overtake the offshore oil and gas industry in the UK’s North Sea within the next 10 years.
- By 2030, the majority of offshore energy jobs will be in the clean energy industry.
- The oil and gas industry is estimated to lose about 40 per cent of all jobs.
According to research by Robert Gordon University, the UK’s North Sea offshore oil and gas industry would be overtaken by the green energy industry within the next 10 years. The research posits that by 2030 the majority (65%) of the offshore energy jobs will be in the clean energy industry.
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Wind energy would provide over half of the UK’s offshore energy jobs, with up to 90,000 job opportunities estimated by 2030 with a government deal that supports a 300 per cent increase in wind capacity. Hydrogen production from clean energy and carbon capture and storage is estimated to provide about 20 per cent of jobs in the energy industry. The oil and gas industry is estimated to shed up to 40 per cent of all jobs as the oil industry decline continues.
Prof Paul de Leeuw, a director at Robert Gordon University and lead author of the report, noted that the shift towards clean energy jobs would benefit the UK as oil and gas employees can transfer their skills into cleaner energy sectors. He added that the clean energy transition presents a chance to create a new world-class net-zero energy workforce, with many offshore energy skills being interchangeable.
The UK’s energy minister, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, has noted that the government’s recent deal with the North Sea industry will ensure that the country has the energy skills needed for the future.