The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Scotland is ‘missing out’ on decommissioning
MSP Alex Neil argues Scottish Government could be doing more
A senior SNP politician delivered a damning assessment of the Scottish Government’s jobs record by declaring Scotland is missing out “big style” on decommissioning.
A multi-billion-pound industry to dismantle oil and gas platforms is emerging, which could create thousands of jobs in Dundee alone.
Alex Neil, the Nationalist MSP and a former cabinet minister, said the country is failing to win its fair share of a sector that would bring work to “some of the most depressed parts of Scotland”.
Dundee’s proximity to North Sea oil fields and its deep port mean it is in a strong position to take advantage.
Mr Neil, who was speaking at a Scottish Socialist Party event, said: “We are losing out big style in terms of missing out on the decommissioning opportunities, which is going to be a multi-billion-pound industry, not just for the next 15 years, but at least for the next 50 years worldwide. That’s an example of where we can create much more wealth and many more jobs in Scotland if we take the right measures to get our fair share of decommissioning.”
Scottish Labour’s Jackie Baillie said decommissioning can be a “thriving industry” in places such as Dundee, but both the Scottish and UK Governments “need to get their act together”.
“The SNP built its case for independence in 2014 on the oil and gas sector, but since the oil price collapse it appears to have abandoned the sector altogether and the Tories offer nothing but more austerity,” she added.
Both the UK and Scottish governments are responsible for creating jobs north of the border.
Scottish Government energy minister Paul Wheelhouse said they developed a decommissioning plan this year which included a £5 million fund focused on putting the right infrastructure in place
“We are already seeing Scottishbased firms seizing opportunities, and securing the lion’s share of value from a range of substantial decommissioning activities, including project management of programmes and high value well-plugging and abandonment activity,” he added.
A UK Government spokeswoman said it is looking at how the tax system can keep fields open for longer, on top of £2.3bn of support for the oil and gas sector over the last three years.
But she added: “It is important that Scottish businesses make the most of the opportunities of decommissioning.”
The £180m Oil and Gas Technology Centre in Aberdeen, part-funded by both the UK and Scottish administrations, includes a research facility for decommissioning.