OGTC reveals significant progress and hints at ‘high value’ projects

The Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) has hailed “significant progress” with more than £130 million co-invested to date with industry.

Accounts and a yearly review have been published for 2018 for the centre, which aims to support projects to reduce costs in the North Sea and create a “culture of innovation” in north-east Scotland.

The centre has approved 179 developments to date, with £50.3m co-invested with industry in the year to March 31, according to accounts, up from £41.1m in its first year, 2017.

Taking it up to October, chief executive Colette

Cohen said around £130m had been co-invested.

The year saw milestones including the launch of the National Decommissioning Centre in January, along with the announcement in September – after the reporting period – that a Net Zero Solutions Centre will open in Aberdeen.

T h e O G T C w a s established in 2017 as part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal, supported by government, with a funding pledge of £180m in 10 years.

The number of projects the centre approved is up but Ms Cohen said this may change to fewer schemes with “high value” involving a group of partners. For instance, when working on schemes involving hydrogen generation and carbon reduction.

One such project is a hydrogen scheme in Orkney with partners including Repsol Sinopec Resources UK, the European Marine Energy Centre and Aquaterra.

Ms Cohen added: “We’re already starting to see some of those consortiums come together because we need a step change in the way we look at a particular type of technology or project.

“It won’t be the format or formula for all of our projects, obviously we will retain our approach on many of them, but there will be some new work which will be quite high value that will require a more collaborative crosssector approach.”