As 2025 unfolds, geopolitical events around the world once again reinforce the importance of the UK’s homegrown energy.
Uncertainty over President Trump’s plans and their impact on global trade, uncertainty over the hoped-for end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and concern about the ramifications of continuing hostility in the Middle East remind us just how important our world-leading supply chain is for delivering the UK’s energy future.
Retaining this crucial asset, its workforce and associated expertise is key to boosting our domestic supplies, reducing our reliance on imports from volatile global markets and driving ever-cleaner energy production.
Homegrown affordable energy is critical to the success of the UK’s industrial strategy and broader plans for growth.
Over more than five decades, our supply chain has developed into an extensive ecosystem encompassing small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) with innovative capabilities to major contractors delivering integrated services to support the UK offshore oil and gas industry.
With their proven expertise and ability to solve complex challenges, they are capable of servicing up to 85% of our budding carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen, geothermal and floating wind sectors.
They are critical to powering our future and the economic and environmental prosperity of our country.
These businesses need clear long-term visibility of future work to realise their full potential.
Supply chain companies responding to our sentiment survey highlighted how difficult it is to plan business activity and build accurate forecasts regarding demand for their goods and services.
Without that clarity and visibility of confirmed upcoming projects, the ability of companies to adequately plan, invest and effectively meet the demands of their client base is severely compromised.
This is where our Share Fair on 19 March, supported by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), plays a key role in our efforts to build an industry capable of creating a secure, skilled and sustainable future.
The flagship business development event at P&J Live in Aberdeen is the premier arena for energy supply chain companies to gain detailed insight of upcoming tendering and business development opportunities, and secure in-person meetings with potential customers and key decision-makers.
It provides businesses with advance market intelligence on confirmed energy projects to help them secure crucial investment, plan more effectively to increase capacity, and recruit the skilled people required to support the UK pipeline of work.
By encouraging greater collaboration on demand planning, project scheduling and resource management, we can help improve the competitiveness of our industry, ensuring resources are available to effectively support long-term energy supply.
For operators, developers and contractors looking to award contracts, Share Fair raises awareness of the expertise, innovative technology and specialised services offered by supply chain companies supporting offshore energies including oil and gas, offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage plus geothermal.
Share Fair’s unique format comprises presentations from operators, developers and contractors on future projects.
It gives suppliers the opportunity to pre-book several one-to-one meetings with key decision makers procuring goods and services while providing extensive opportunities to network with industry peers and book exhibition space.
Feedback reveals they see it as an essential event for business growth and networking.
This year, attendees will be among the first to hear details of a growing number of renewable energy projects, including emerging hydrogen projects.
We’ll be also launching our 2025 Supply Chain report at Share Fair.
This builds on an extensive body of work we undertook in 2024 to support our world-class supply chain.
That includes commissioning the report by Rystad, which highlighted the need for targeted supply chain investment to capture the potential of an estimated £150 billion opportunity.
We look forward to sharing this insightful report at Share Fair, which reflects our focus on supporting our world-class supply chain to have confidence in the UK.
It has huge potential to be the pillar driving our shared ambitions to support energy security and deliver the UK’s climate goals.
Share Fair promises to pack a lot of timely, topical and vital information into one day.
It is a key opportunity to learn how we must unlock supply chain investment to build world-leading businesses for the new markets that will underpin the low-carbon energy systems of the future.
We look forward to seeing you there.
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