Associate Feature: BP Supporting Scotland’s Energy Transition

As someone who has worked in the energy industry for nearly 30 years, I am all too aware of the complex issues it can face. But never has there been a more challenging time for our sector as we address the energy transition and embrace the tremendous opportunities it presents.

It’s one of the reasons I joined bp – a progressive company with credible plans to transform what we do, in a way that brings people and communities along on the journey.

It’s happening already, including here in Scotland which has been home to our North Sea business for more than 50 years.

While we have committed to reduce our global hydrocarbon production by 40 per cent by 2030, we will still be in oil and gas, but only producing those barrels that are the most competitive and which are low carbon in how they are developed.

Regions like the North Sea will act as the engine room for bp’s transformation, funding investment in low carbon solutions while retaining and developing the skills needed for our greener businesses of tomorrow. Our ambitions in Scottish offshore wind could not be a better case in point.

Partnering with EnBW, we have submitted a transformative bid in ScotWind, to develop offshore wind projects off the east coast of Scotland with 2.9 gigawatts generating capacity. But our bid seeks to do so much more.

It aims to accelerate Scotland’s entire energy transition. It would bring multi-billion-pound investments to Scottish offshore wind projects. It would see investment in net zero industries, including green hydrogen production and electric vehicle charging.

It would even help stimulate national infrastructure projects at ports, harbours, and shipyards. And success in ScotWind would see Aberdeen become bp’s global centre of excellence for offshore wind, supporting the energy transition, creating jobs, and building out the supply chain in Scotland for the long term. bp was one of the early pioneers of the North Sea and, as we tackle the energy transition head on, we want to play a leading role in the next chapter of Scotland’s energy story.

Louise Kingham is Senior Vice President Europe & Country Head UK, bp

This article was sponsored by bp