The OEUK has urged political parties to take an ‘all-energy’ approach to renewables and fossil fuels.
Scotland risks the loss of industry and access to its own secure energy if political parties do not unite behind the country’s offshore energy sector, an industry body has warned.
Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) made the warning ahead of the launch of its own Scottish election manifesto.
Its key ask is that the Scottish Government takes an “all-energy” approach to fossil fuels and renewables, while urging against dividing the sector’s workforce into “clean” and “dirty” industries.
It is also urging political leaders to back continued oil and gas extraction in Scotland including in the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields.
OEUK said, in 2024, the UK’s offshore energy industry contributed more than £36 billion to the economy and supported more than 240,000 jobs nationwide.
More than half of those jobs – 128,400 (53%) – are based in Scotland, adding £24 billion to the economy.
OEUK said the figures were not just numbers but “livelihoods, families, and the lifeblood of towns and cities across the country”.
The group said that despite Scotland’s “world-class” resources, the UK imported more than 40% of its energy in 2024 – the highest level in more than a decade.
OEUK added that the trend was being “driven by policy choices, not geology, and risks industrial collapse”.
Urging for “pragmatism over polarisation”, the industry body said: “OEUK is clear: it is time for all political parties to back Scotland’s energy sector.”
David Whitehouse, chief executive of the group, said: “Scotland’s offshore energy sector is the backbone of our economy, our communities, and our future.
“In 2024 alone, the UK’s offshore energy industry added over £36 billion to the economy and supported more than 240,000 jobs, with 128,400 of them here in Scotland.
“These are not just statistics; they represent livelihoods, families and the lifeblood of towns and cities across our country.
“In recent months, we have seen the closure of the refinery at Grangemouth and the chemical site at Mossmorran and, with these closures, the loss of skilled jobs vital to the Scottish economy. It does not have to be this way.
“With an integrated approach that builds on our strengths, Scotland’s industrial future can be anchored for decades to come. Decarbonisation must deliver re-industrialisation.
“That means supporting domestic oil and gas production, creating a fiscal and regulatory framework that encourages investment and approving Rosebank and Jackdaw while building our world class renewables; urgently reforming transmission charges, committing to carbon storage at Acorn and supporting Scotland’s industrial sector.
“Scottish support for Scottish industry matters, and now is the time for all political parties to back our sector.”
Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said: “We are clear in our support for a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector, which recognises both the important contribution the North Sea continues to make to the energy sector and the maturity of the basin.
“The renewable offshore energy sector represents a huge economic opportunity for the whole of Scotland, delivering jobs and attracting major investment across the country as well as having the potential to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and the price volatility they come with.
“We need urgent action from the UK Government to fully unlock that potential and UK institutions must deliver critical reforms to make transmission charges fairer and reduce uncertainty on grid connections.
“What we need to see is a parallel track approach to the energy transition, in which North Sea oil and gas production is managed alongside the increasing deployment of renewables.
“What is instead happening at present is that reserved policies, such as the energy profits levy (EPL), are driving an accelerated decline of North Sea oil and gas before renewables can be ready. This is placing a just energy transition at risk.
“That is why we, like OEUK, are calling on the UK Government to urgently remove the EPL, to help ensure there is a just transition from oil and gas to renewables that protects skills and delivers a pipeline of future investment.
“We also continue to call on the UK Government to approach decisions for North Sea oil and gas projects on a rigorously evidence-led, case-by-case basis – with climate compatibility and energy security as key considerations.
“The Scottish Government will continue to do all it can to support the energy workforce with the powers available to us.
“More than £120 million has already been invested in the North East through our Just Transition and Energy Transition Funds, to support the region’s transition to net zero.
“This funding has helped create green jobs, support innovation, and secured the highly skilled workforce of the future.”