Scotland's first minister says more North Sea oil and gas production is not the solution to the energy crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Nicola Sturgeon has rejected a call from Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross to maximise oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
Addressing the Scottish Parliament yesterday, the SNP leader said new oil and gas fields can take years to come on stream.
She said the best move was to "accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels" - and called on the UK government to act to shield households from energy price rises in the meantime.
What she said
Ms Sturgeon said that Scotland was not dependent on Russian supplies in the same way other European countries were, but said "we will all bear the burden of increased prices" for energy and food.
However she insisted that it was not credible to suggest that the North Sea could provide an immediate solution to the crisis, with existing fields not operating under capacity.
The first minister also dismissed the idea of commissioning new nuclear power plants to bolster the UK's energy mix.
She said: "We don't do anybody any favours if we put forward solutions that don't provide a panacea in the short term.
"If we were to give the go-ahead to Cambo for example right now, 2026 would be the earliest it could start producing oil.
"With new nuclear, if we were to give the go-ahead today it would be years if not decades before that came on stream."
Reaction
Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) Chief Executive Russell Borthwick said: “On matters as big as this, it would be helpful to have a UK-wide consensus on the way ahead. However, again, the first minister has chosen a different path, despite a significant intervention from her former energy minister yesterday.
“North Sea oil and gas will remain an essential part of the UK’s energy mix in the transition to net zero over the coming decades. This was the case before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the current crisis further underlines just how crucial domestic supplies are for our energy security.
“AGCC is clear that new North Sea exploration and development will be required to meet projected energy demands through the transition period, to offset declining production and to avoid a ‘cliff-edge’ for an industry which supports 160,000 jobs. It will also fund the vast investment required to unlock our green energy potential.
“With a volatile period ahead for global energy markets and an unfolding cost of living crisis, we must look at urgently reducing the UK’s exposure and reliance upon imported hydrocarbons.
“While governments and businesses must scale up support for and investment in renewables, carbon capture and hydrogen technologies, the immediate challenges of demand will likely require more North Sea exploration and production in the interim.”