Energy Voice – Out Loud

The eagerly awaited Budget 2026 this week dominated discussions around the Energy Voice Out Loud offices this week. But what does it mean for the Acorn CCS project? Is the government actually backing away from the slow-moving Scottish project or was it all a misunderstanding? Officials insisted Acorn was still getting its previously committed money, but hackles north of the border were raised – and just as approvals for the Peterhead gas-to-power plant looked like moving ahead. Beyond Healey’s budget, Ryan spent a busy day talking all things safety and the new weight restrictions for offshore workers. For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud: Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podbean: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://energyvoiceoutloud.podbean.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Energy Voice: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/company/energy-voice ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/energyvoicenews/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Energy Voice Out Loud brings you news, analysis and expert insight from across the energy sector, covering oil and gas, renewables, policy, investment, the energy transition and the people shaping the industry.

Tune into this special recording of a live panel event hosted in Aberdeen, featuring a panel of energy experts exploring the major questions and dilemmas facing the UK and its energy future. Hosted by Energy Voice news editor Erikka Askeland, panellist are Angelos Pastras, parter with DNV; Maggie McGinlay, CEO of ETZ Ltd; Nick Butler, economist and visiting professor, King's College London; and Professor John Underhill from the University of Aberdeen. Together they examine the future of North Sea oil and gas, the challenges facing offshore wind, the role of energy storage and electrification, and whether current policy is moving quickly enough to support industry and consumers. Discussion was inspired by the UK’s long-awaited decision on the Jackdaw gas field which took place the day before recording. What did this mean for UK energy security, and what does it mean for Rosebank, the other field under consideration? Key moments include a lively debate on whether the UK can meet its climate ambitions, how to balance cheaper energy with economic growth and what Aberdeen's role should be in the next chapter of global energy. There was also discussion of a gruesome discovery of a moose’s head on the table.

Jackdaw has been approved, Rosebank still awaits government sign-off, an energy wealth fund has been established, and the regulator has new powers. Those were the topics of conversation as Energy Voice news editor Erikka Askeland and Aberdeen features lead Ryan Duff discussed Wednesday's announcements.

ADNOC Upstream EVP and ADIPEC Technical Conference Chair Haitham Al Jenaibi joins DMG Events president Chris Hudson to cut through the hype and map where AI is already delivering value - and where it must go next. We explore AI’s role in operational resilience, from subsurface optimisation and predictive maintenance to safer, faster project delivery, and ask how these gains translate into system-level energy security. Haitham explains how the technical conference is curating credible, field-tested papers - and his top tips for impact. Chris frames the 2026 agenda - industrialisation, reliability and partnerships - as the backbone of progress. Ahead of Abu Dhabi in early November, the message is clear: move from pilots to scalable deployments, align incentives, and bring solutions that reduce cost, risk and carbon - at pace.

Rosebank and Jackdaw approval speculation was back in the news this week as Andy Burnham got ready to travel to Scotland. The latest suggestion was Adura's two pending projects would get the green light on Thursday, but that was quickly quashed by those familiar with the matter. This came soon after Green Volt partner Flotation Energy confirmed job cuts amid speculation that investor Vårgrønn planned to step away from the project, which was awarded a lease in the 'targeted oil and gas' bucket of the INTOG leasing round. Finally, the UK regulator patted operators on the back for slashing their emissions as it admitted electrification was maybe not the way to go for producing assets, particularly in the Central North Sea. For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud: Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podbean: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://energyvoiceoutloud.podbean.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Energy Voice: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/company/energy-voice ⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/energyvoicenews/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Energy Voice Out Loud brings you news, analysis and expert insight from across the energy sector, covering oil and gas, renewables, policy, investment, the energy transition and the people shaping the industry.

The week the floating offshore wind conference returned to Aberdeen, but is Scotland's sector 'up a creek without a paddle'? Our reporters Michael Behr and Ryan Duff discuss just that as they interviewed Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm CEO Richard Copeland and Qair project director Ewan Walker. The SSEP remained a point of contention, as well as TNUoS, but the question of whether Scottish floating projects, particularly big ones, will get CfDs in AR8 was something to speculate on. Get caught up with all things Scottish floating wind in this bonus Episode of Out Loud by Energy Voice Don't just stop at one storyJoin 17k+ energy professionals and sign up to the free Energy Voice daily newsletter for the latest stories shaping the energy industry, every weekday: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xKb4r0For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/ ⁠⁠Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud:Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 ⁠⁠

This week, the Conservative Party Conference swung back around and while spare seats were easy to find, the energy debate was as lively as ever. While consensus on nuclear grows everywhere but at SNP HQ, could nuclear be forced upon Scotland if the Tories reclaim power? As the nuclear debate deepens in Scotland, Ryan Duff and Michael Behr also break down the woes of the floating offshore wind sector and why the sector isn’t developing as quickly as hoped. On the international stage, E-FWD editor Ed Reed walks us through the latest on the Middle East crisis driving up energy prices. Is it also opening new opportunities? For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/ ⁠⁠⁠ Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud: Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx ⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 ⁠⁠⁠ Podbean: ⁠⁠⁠https://energyvoiceoutloud.podbean.com/ ⁠⁠⁠ Follow Energy Voice: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/company/energy-voice ⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/energyvoicenews/ ⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠⁠ Energy Voice Out Loud brings you news, analysis and expert insight from across the energy sector, covering oil and gas, renewables, policy, investment, the energy transition and the people shaping the industry.

This week prime minister Andy Burnham announced a new £4 billion arm of Great British Energy, GB Grid. But can the state-owned firm afford to see that big a chunk taken out of its budget? This came soon after Simon Roddy, chief executive of GB Energy-Nuclear, another wing of GBE that was tacked on after the firm opened its doors, spoke to Out Lout about how Scotland can get in on the UK's reactor roll-out, even if no new stations are set to open north of the border. Reabold Resources continued its pursuit of Union Jack Oil, despite its books indicating finances weren't the best as our reporters discussed floating wind and how it's set to fair ahead of a conference in Aberdeen and Peterson boss Sarah Moore claimed fought the corner of the North Sea Futures board as she argued it's "not an echo chamber". Don't just stop at one storyJoin 17k+ energy professionals and sign up to the free Energy Voice daily newsletter for the latest stories shaping the energy industry, every weekday: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xKb4r0For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/

The Middle East war has forced the energy industry to rethink how it sees resilience and infrastructure, the first episode of Road to ADIPEC sets out. In the past, “efficiency was king”. Now, it’s complicated. Alex Tancock, CEO of Intercontinental Energy, and Sherif Foda, chairman and CEO of NESR, discuss the energy industry’s shift into resilience and supply diversity. The Middle East has been at the heart of much of this year’s disruption. But the region will continue to be at the heart of the world’s changing energy industry for years to come.

Gastech has been and gone, Ed Reed is back from Bangkok, and now the question that needs to be answered is will the UK have enough gas to get it through the winter. The UK had a close call with a blackout over the summer and now it must think about heating and gas fired power stations, LNG will be a point of contention as global supply remains constrained. This happened as GB Energy opened its doors in Aberdeen and Michael Shanks gave insight into the Jackdaw and Rosebank approval process while Scottish energy minister Stephen Gethins offered clarity on delivery of Holyrood's energy strategy. For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/ ⁠⁠ Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud: Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx ⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 ⁠⁠ Podbean: ⁠⁠https://energyvoiceoutloud.podbean.com/ ⁠⁠ Follow Energy Voice: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/company/energy-voice ⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/energyvoicenews/ ⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠ Energy Voice Out Loud brings you news, analysis and expert insight from across the energy sector, covering oil and gas, renewables, policy, investment, the energy transition and the people shaping the industry.

Net Zero, it's a term that has garnered political and social opposition over the past few years, and now the UK government aims to abandon the term, but not its principle. This week, Dave Lord reported on conclusions made by the Energy Security and Net Zero committee that recommended the government distanced itself from the words 'net zero' and instead should focus on the tangible impacts of decarbonisation. This happened as a discussion began as to whether UK energy project operators should be forced to sell up to 20% ownerhip to community groups, the offshore sector looked ahead to the budget, and Audit Scotland questioned what Holyrood was doing with all of that ScotWind money. Don't just stop at one storyJoin 17k+ energy professionals and sign up to the free Energy Voice daily newsletter for the latest stories shaping the energy industry, every weekday: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xKb4r0For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/ ⁠⁠Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud:Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 ⁠⁠

This week, geopolitics became the centre ground of the energy debate as an Israeli minister backed Argentina over Falklands oil claims. Closer to home, Scotland’s first clean technology manufacturing facility dedicated to electrolyser assembly and integration announced it will be established in Aberdeen. What does this all mean? Well, E-FWD editor took on the challenge of dissecting geopolitics, while renewable reporter Michael Behr discussed the state of play for project funding across the sector in Scotland. Meanwhile, North of England correspondent Floyd March tells us of his adventures to the Point of Ayr gas terminal - the beating heart of the HyNet carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/ ⁠ Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud: Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx ⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 ⁠ Podbean: ⁠https://energyvoiceoutloud.podbean.com/ ⁠ Follow Energy Voice: LinkedIn: ⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/company/energy-voice ⁠ X: ⁠https://x.com/EnergyVoiceNews ⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/energyvoicenews/ ⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@EnergyVoiceNews ⁠ Energy Voice Out Loud brings you news, analysis and expert insight from across the energy sector, covering oil and gas, renewables, policy, investment, the energy transition and the people shaping the industry.

This week the Onshore Wind and Energy Exports conferences rolled into Edinburgh and Aberdeen, respectively. This came as Andy Burnham made his first appearance in the House of Commons as prime minister, and Holyrood published its programme for government. But what does it all mean? Renewable UK CEO Tara Singh, and Scottish renewables boss Angela Hepworth caught up with Michale Behr about the onshore wind conference, as the NSTA's Pauline Innes and EIC head honcho Stuart Broadley spoke to Erikka Askeland about all things energy exports, and former British diplomat Greg Quinn discussed politics with Ryan Duff.

Stavanger was a buzz this week as ONS returned. Offshore Europe's sister show welcomed more than 69,000 people as the future of oil and gas both in Norway and the UK was the topic of conversation. Even in Stavanger Rosebank is on everybody's lips, find out what Equinor had to say about that and more in this week's episode of Out Loud by Energy Voice. Don't just stop at one story. Join 17k+ energy professionals and sign up to the free Energy Voice daily newsletter for the latest stories shaping the energy industry, every weekday: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xKb4r0 For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/ ⁠⁠ Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud: Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 ⁠⁠

The consultation on Rosebank came to a close this week and with that questions of when the government will give its verdict began to crop up. The hot tip at the moment is the government will announce a decision next month, but will it be the right one? Well, depending on who you ask a yes or a no could be the best thing for the UK and the climate. In this episode we also discuss the investigation into nuclear waste which was published on our website this week and a Manchester University report which argued the UK should not try to compete with China to manufacture renewable energy infrastructure. For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/ ⁠⁠Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud:Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 ⁠⁠Follow Energy Voice:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/company/energy-voice ⁠⁠X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/energyvoicenews/ ⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠Energy Voice Out Loud brings you news, analysis and expert insight from across the energy sector, covering oil and gas, renewables, policy, investment, the energy transition and the people shaping the industry.

In a special episode, energy policy whisperer Nick Butler takes some time to talk to E-FWD editor Ed Reed on the limits of UK energy thinking. Nick thinks there's scope for politicians to work together for a greater good, with a plea for pragmatism. Ed takes a more pessimistic view, maintaining that the current division of responsibilities makes such a move impossible.

The UK government announced payments of £250 a year over a decade for those living within 500m of new pylons, but is this a bribe? The decision came amid pushback from locals regarding the ramp up of transmission infrastructure, the need for this infrastructure and the benefits the energy transition will bring need to be weighed up. We also discussed the NSTA's latest decommissioning report as Pauline Innes told us about a charter signed by 17 North Sea operators and the move to get Andy Burnham to rethink a ban on Ming Yang's Scottish manufacturing plans. For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: https://www.energyvoice.com/ Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 Podbean: https://energyvoiceoutloud.podbean.com/ Follow Energy Voice: LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/energy-voice X: https://x.com/EnergyVoiceNews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/energyvoicenews/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EnergyVoiceNews Energy Voice Out Loud brings you news, analysis and expert insight from across the energy sector, covering oil and gas, renewables, policy, investment, the energy transition and the people shaping the industry.

BP has announced plans to leave the UK as the port that was instrumental in delivering infrastructure for the early days of North Sea oil lays plans for floating wind and the Lindsey refinery's previous owners have been accused of fraud. In this all new video version of Energy Voice Out Loud, our reporters discuss who might buy BP's North Sea assets. Erikka is putting her money on someone unexpected. This is in addition to interviews with Ian Donald and Doug Duguid about the Squid moorings system which could be manufactured out of a new facility at Ardersier and discussion around how Glencore feels it was duped into an oil sale deal. For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/ ⁠⁠Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud:Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 ⁠⁠Follow Energy Voice:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/company/energy-voice ⁠⁠X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/energyvoicenews/ ⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@EnergyVoiceNews ⁠⁠Energy Voice Out Loud brings you news, analysis and expert insight from across the energy sector, covering oil and gas, renewables, policy, investment, the energy transition and the people shaping the industry.

The Peak Cluster received pushback as Liverpool Bay got consent. This came as Serica made moves to acquire Pharos Energy, and Mocean made plans to power offshore data centres. In this episode of Energy Voice Out Loud, Aberdeen features lead Ryan Duff is accompanied by news editor Erikka Askeland, North West correspondent Floyd March, renewables reporter Michael Behr, and news reporter Mat Perry, who is making his last appearance on the podcast. For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: ⁠https://www.energyvoice.com/ ⁠ Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud: Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx ⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 ⁠ Follow Energy Voice: LinkedIn: ⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/company/energy-voice ⁠ X: ⁠https://x.com/EnergyVoiceNews ⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/energyvoicenews/ ⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@EnergyVoiceNews ⁠ Energy Voice Out Loud brings you news, analysis and expert insight from across the energy sector, covering oil and gas, renewables, policy, investment, the energy transition and the people shaping the industry.

This week Andy Burnham formed his government, resulting in a change in chancellor and energy secretary. In this episode of Energy Voice Out Loud, Aberdeen features lead Ryan Duff is joined by news editor Erikka Askeland, reporter Mat Perry, renewables reporter Michael Behr and North West correspondent Floyd March. With so much to discuss, there were no ad breaks in this week's episode as our five reporters offered their insight into the week's political shake-up. For more energy news, analysis and insight, visit Energy Voice: https://www.energyvoice.com/ Listen to Energy Voice Out Loud: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5oOm2X6UsU1eybnTCoBFJx Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-voice-out-loud/id1508117133 Follow Energy Voice: LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/energy-voice X: https://x.com/EnergyVoiceNews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/energyvoicenews/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EnergyVoiceNews Energy Voice Out Loud brings you news, analysis and expert insight from across the energy sector, covering oil and gas, renewables, policy, investment, the energy transition and the people shaping the industry.