Swinney opposes UK plan to ban new North Sea oil and gas exploration
First Minister John Swinney has said he does not support UK government plans to ban new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. Speaking to MSPs, the members of the Scottish Parliament, he said fossil fuels would be needed for some years to come.
The plans are contained in the UK government's Energy Independence Bill. It would remove the power of the North Sea Transition Authority, the body that grants licences, to issue fresh oil and gas licences. Decisions on new licences are made by the UK government.
Swinney argued that there is a rational basis for considering oil and gas developments in Scotland if they offer lower carbon emissions than imported oil and gas. The Scottish government set out a presumption against new oil and gas drilling, meaning a default position against approval, in its 2023 energy strategy.
The bill would still allow existing fields to add production from within their current boundaries or nearby areas. The UK government said its provisions could produce about 60 million barrels of oil and support hundreds of jobs. The bill would also scrap gas standing charges, the fixed daily charges on gas bills, and introduce reforms to speed up grid connections, the process of linking new power projects to the electricity network.
The bill would not affect the decision on drilling at Rosebank, off Shetland, which is the UK's largest known untapped field. Rosebank was approved in 2022 before it became subject to legal challenges.
The Scottish National Party will seek to remove the ban on new oil and gas drilling from the bill. If that fails, the SNP will oppose the legislation, although it supports other measures in it. Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay described Swinney's comments on new licences as a shocking U-turn.
The UK government's North Sea Future Plan says it implements election manifesto commitments to manage existing oil and gas fields for the rest of their lifespan and not to issue new licences to explore for new oil.
