Promoting Our Region's Rich Energy Sector

Tom Nightingale, director of marketing and strategy, Flexible Pipe Systems, at Baker Hughes and board member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the North East, discusses the key role marketing plays when driving the energy transition agenda.

Renewable energy and climate change are hot topics, not just in the media but within politics, business and day-to-day life. Renewables will be an essential component in the energy transition as the world looks for cleaner solutions.

Increasingly, we see a call to action and prior to the 2019 general election, the Scottish government called the UK government to commit to a package of measures to support Scotland’s renewable energy industry, in addition to its established oil and gas sector. This included supporting innovation, the shift to low carbon heat and allowing onshore wind to compete in the energy market.

Scottish Renewables CEO, Claire Mack, has called on the UK government to play its part. “It is imperative the next UK government, however it is composed, understands renewable energy is now mainstream and is a vital part of the fight against climate change, as well as a vibrant economy.” As marketers in the North East, we can all play a role in supporting our region’s rich energy sector and it is imperative that we continue to promote the supply chain in the region to lead the industry globally in the energy transition, in particular, for innovative technologies.

We must also continue to develop strategies to secure UK content on major projects and attract inward investment to develop skills as well as highlighting regional strengths, such as wind turbine manufacturing and port capabilities. Here in the North East, cable manufacture and offshore installation are strong examples in offshore renewables transferred from oil and gas, as well as leading in the transfer of skills between the two sectors. This will continue to be extremely important as both oil and gas and renewables will grow for decades to come as the energy mix moves away from other sources such as coal and nuclear. Oil and gas service companies are also recognising that while the sector will grow, they have an increasingly important role to play in reducing carbon emissions in the industry. Baker Hughes has committed to both helping customers achieve carbon reduction targets and to be carbon neutral itself by 2050.

The first UK offshore wind farm at Blyth, built in 2000, is located off the coast of Northumberland and supply chain companies, in the region, have played a large role in the vast majority of offshore wind farms, globally. We are in a prime location, with numerous international shipping channels accessible by the ports of Blyth, Tees, Sunderland and Tyne and, as such, we truly have an exceptional opportunity to drive the green agenda policy and support a sustainable energy mix.

The North East is excellently positioned and the Government has officially recognised this, declaring the region a National Centre for Offshore Renewable Energy (CORE) for our outstanding port infrastructure, supply chain, public sector and skilled workers, who support underlying rapid sector growth. UK offshore wind is now one of the lowest cost options, and one of the most environmental, for new power thanks to the vital support of the supply chain, which has helped to introduce new technologies and drive down cost. The region has a strong opportunity to support the wider energy transition, continuing its impressive heritage in oil and gas, as we look to develop new innovations in energy such as hydrogen transportation and storage.

We must continue to communicate the track record, success and skills that have been developed to deliver world leading energy projects to date in the UK and support the lobbying of stakeholders to understand the importance of the supply chain in delivering a balanced energy mix through new technologies.

The North East is rapidly becoming a beacon for energy excellence and this is in part to do with how companies employ marketing to educate and influence through effective communications, deep market understanding and strategic planning.