OGUK today responded to the German Energy Regulator’s decision to temporarily suspend certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

The leading trade association for the UK’s offshore oil and gas sector cited it as another example, on top of the recent gas and petrol crisis, that emphasises how important it is that the UK protects its own energy security through continued domestic production of oil and gas resources, as it scales up the greener energies needed to achieve net zero by 2050.

Commenting on the decision, OGUK Sustainability Director Mike Tholen said:

“This underlines the need for the UK to continue to produce its own oil and gas resources to protect its energy security while we scale up greener alternatives like hydrogen and wind.

“85% of British people’s homes are heated by natural gas for example, so if we halted our own production we’d simply need to import it from around the world at a huge cost to the taxpayer, jobs and increased carbon footprint.

“Being reliant on our energy from Qatar, Russia and other countries, also leaves us more vulnerable to energy cut-outs and price spikes.”