GENERATE PROSPECTUS - Flipbook - Page 19
Unlimited opportunities in the East of England
DECARBONISING
NATURAL GAS
As you will see from the Hydrogen section of
this prospectus (page 24), the East of England
is committed to generating green, blue and pink
hydrogen at an industrial scale. Natural gas is an
obvious candidate for generating blue hydrogen
as we already have the infrastructure at Bacton
to introduce a lower carbon blend of gas and
hydrogen into the national transmission pipeline.
It may also be possible to use the offshore
pipeline network to store carbon captured in the
process in depleted gas fields.
SNS gas fields also align closely with the
offshore wind leasing zones, which has
already helped create considerable synergies
between the two sectors in skills and, marine
logistics and technologies. There is now the
potential for developing an integrated offshore
power generating network that would save
money, maximise value from renewable
energy and strengthen the resilience of the
UK’s energy supply. This would also benefit
skilled technicians and other professionals by
opening up more opportunities for cross-sector
collaboration, as well as inter-sector training
and certification (something colleges in our
region are keen to support).
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Unlimited opportunities in the East of England
DEVELOPING
AN INTEGRATED
OFFSHORE POWER
NETWORK
Here are three ways that an
integrated offshore power
generating network might work:
1. ‘ Gas platform electrification’ aims
to use electricity directly from
offshore wind turbines to power
the gas production platforms (and
perhaps generate blue hydrogen
before bringing the gas ashore).
2. ‘ Gas to wire’ would use gas
to generate electricity on the
platform and then bring it ashore
using the existing sub-sea cables
from the offshore wind turbines.
3. ‘Power to gas’ would use electricity
from offshore wind to create green
hydrogen through desalination and
electrolysis and then bring that to
shore using existing gas pipelines.
An integrated clean energy ecosystem
would help investors and entrepreneurs
find the talent, experience and support to
grow their businesses. It would also drive the
development of new technologies that can
accelerate the UK’s journey to Net Zero. Some
of these ideas are already being explored in
various projects such as the Bacton Hub (see
the Hydrogen section), and by our education
sector (see Workforce & Skills section).
As well as an experienced community of
energy professionals, Norfolk and Suffolk has
talented digital technology and advanced
engineering communities, including those
based at hubs such as Innovation Martlesham
and Hethel Engineering Centre. Along with
researchers in our academic centres of
excellence, including University of East Anglia
in Norwich and University of Suffolk in Ipswich,
these professionals are developing cutting
edge ideas including AI, sensor technologies
and remote machine automation. They are
already playing their part in the development
of integrated energy systems.
CARBON CAPTURE,
UTILISATION AND STORAGE
The SNS is well placed to develop Carbon
Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS)
technologies. Bacton Gas Terminal and its
proximity to depleted SNS gas reservoirs
and infrastructure, such as the Hewett field
for storage capacity, could facilitate the
transition to Net Zero by tackling emissions
from existing energy assets, providing
solutions in hard to decarbonise sectors and
support the rapid scaling up of low-emissions
hydrogen production.
REPURPOSING
OPPORTUNITIES
As well as repurposing and upcycling existing
gas assets, we must face the challenge of
decommissioning many of them. According
to the OGA, the SNS has more than 164,800
tonnes of ageing infrastructure, some 20
years past its planned lifespan, which will
need to be brought to shore for recycling and
disposal. While the OGA forecasts that this
work could cost the industry £2.5 billion by
2030, this has the potential to also create
new businesses and jobs in engineering and
efficient waste management. The SNS
is ideal for testing new decommissioning
methods because the gas platforms are
smaller than elsewhere and its shallow
waters make it easier to handle vessels,
infrastructure and equipment. There are
also a number of service ports in close
proximity with talented workforces, making
it easier for businesses to find experienced
professionals to collaborate on projects. You
can see one such venture already in Great
Yarmouth, where Peterson and Veolia have
partnered to create an environmentally
friendly decommissioning facility that is
already handling SNS recycling projects.
Here in Norfolk and Suffolk we aim to generate
the workforce of the future capable of tackling
these and other clean energy challenges. The
new £11.3 million Energy Skills Centre at East
Coast College’s Lowestoft campus is focused
on delivering training programmes centred on
the needs of the engineering, maritime, energy
and offshore sectors. It provides students, and
commercial customers looking to up-skill their
employees, with qualifications ranging from
Level 3 certifications to higher level programmes
and apprenticeships.
Source: www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050
and Hydrogen East Bacton Energy Hub report
Whether your business is interested
in decarbonising the gas sector or
helping to decommission assets,
Norfolk and Suffolk has the talented
workforce and experienced partners
to help you succeed.
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