The Scottish Government has been pushed to do more to back domestic oil and gas production and the supply chain that depends on it, after high-profile warnings about “concerningly low” gas storage levels in recent weeks.
In answer to parliamentary questions from North East Scotland MSP Liam Kerr, Scottish Ministers confirmed they had not raised any issues about the UK’s gas supply with their Westminster counterparts despite a warning in the press of the likelihood of ‘blackouts’ this winter.
Washing their hands of the problem, Energy Secretary Gillian Martin noted that supply of gas was a reserved issue and that the UK could rely upon imports from Norway and LNG shipped from elsewhere in the world.
Analysis from the North Sea Transition Authority in 2024 confirmed that imported LNG is on average four times more carbon heavy than domestically produced gas.
The UK’s future supply of gas faces increasing uncertainty, with the future of the Jackdaw field in the North Sea – expected to provide 6% of UK supply when onstream – currently being challenged in the Court of Session.
Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, Scotland’s largest business chamber representing 1,300 companies across the region, has called on the Scottish Government to take more of an active role in advocating for a resilient domestic oil and gas sector, which can secure a future pipeline of supply.
AGCC chief executive Russell Borthwick said: “It’s astonishing – bordering on negligent – for the Scottish Government to be taking such a passive role on energy security.
“With the UK sailing perilously close to the wind in terms of gas supply, the very least you would expect is for the Scottish Government to be asking some tough questions.
“Britain was a net exporter of gas as recently as 2003 and due to the premature winding down of North Sea operations has found itself in a situation where we import 55% of our needs today. On current trajectory, this could increase to 80% by 2030.
“In a climate emergency, it makes no sense that we would become more reliant on imported LNG – at four times the carbon footprint – instead of backing domestic production to the hilt. How is that going to help us hit our global targets?”
North East Scotland MSP Liam Kerr said: "Gas is still the primary method of heating for the majority of Scots on the grid and will be for years to come.
"So any warnings about domestic storage running low, in fact close to blackout levels, should be heeded by policymakers at Holyrood and Westminster.
"Capacity was teetering on the brink. It underlines how important domestic gas production from the North Sea is to our energy security.
"However, neither the SNP Scottish Government nor the Labour UK Government seem to have taken these warnings seriously.
"They both need to u-turn on policies which have threatened investment and confidence in essential North Sea production."