Latest news with #Shetland
Bloomberg
3 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Allegra Stratton: The UK's Next Power Play is Electricity
I'm just back from another work trip to Shetland, where over the years I've watched the onshore Viking windfarm get built. These days I often see those 103 turbines in action. However, on some days I also see — even when it's gusty — many of those 103 turbines not in action. Of course, that does not go down well with my Shetland friends. It's hard not to think of Viking, one of the UK's largest onshore windfarms, when reading briefing today that the industrial strategy due to be announced next week by the government will include commitments to support Britain's key industries by lowering their energy bills.
Glasgow Times
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
River City gangster on his 'polar opposite' role in Glasgow
Jordan Young, the actor who plays both, agrees. 'That's the absolute beauty of being an actor - you hope you will be able to play a huge variety of roles with as much colour and character as you can,' he says, with a grin. 'And with these two, I've been very lucky, as they are polar opposites.' Jordan Young outside the Tron Theatre (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest) Jordan is about to take to the stage at the Tron Theatre as the aforementioned Ronnie in Douglas Maxwell's Man's Best Friend, a one-man play about love and loneliness. 'It struck a chord with me immediately,' nods Jordan. 'It's a huge challenge, of course, just me on the stage for an hour and a half.' He pauses. 'The fear of it …' he says, paling slightly. 'It's relentless. There's no time to breathe, or pause while the other actors do their bit, because it's just me. 'It's my job to bring out the story. If you're a runner, you prepare for a 5k, then a 10k, a marathon, then an ultramarathon … this is definitely an ultramarathon.' (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest) Writer Douglas Maxwell, who staged his first play at the Tron Theatre 25 years ago, says a one-person show is 'an intimate thing.' He adds: 'It can create a powerful theatrical connection between a skilled storyteller and an audience, built in empathy, imagination and shared experience, which in the end becomes something much bigger. 'That's also what Man's Best Friend is about. Our need to connect with the world, to be of use, to be bigger. And dogs. It's also about dogs.' 'I genuinely love dogs,' says Jordan, enthusiastically. 'My mum was a dog trainer and she used to show dogs. My entire life has been spent with dogs – sometimes we had about 10 in the house at the one time 'So this is the perfect part for me.' Ronnie is 'very complex', says Jordan, adding: 'I mean. there isn't a human being alive who isn't complex, but I feel like there is an awful lot going on in Ronnie's life. And he's not in charge of any of it. 'Life happens TO him, he's not proactive. It's a comedy, but a dark one, full of pathos, with a lot of heart.' Jordan grew up in Fife, where he was 'never one of those really young kids who went to acting classes', he says. 'I just liked making people laugh,' he explains. 'There was probably always a bit of a performer in there. 'I lost my dad at 14, and while I didn't know it at the time, I think maybe I found drama cathartic, a way of coping with an incredibly difficult time in my life.' He pauses. 'It's only looking back that I can work that out now. 'And it just grew from there. I went to drama college, and 30 years later, here I am.' Jordan as Alex Murdoch with Dawn Steele in River City (Image: BBC) Jordan is a popular and respected stage and screen actor who has appeared in everything from Shetland and Still Game to Rebus and Scot Squad. It is as notorious villain Alex Murdoch in River City, however, that he is probably best known. The news that River City will end next year was a 'bolt out of the blue', he admits. 'It will definitely be a seismic change in my life, but it was never a job for life – there aren't many of those any more, and especially not in this industry," he says. 'When I was leaving drama college, if you'd said I'd have a job that would last 12 years, I would not have believed it.' He will miss Alex, he acknowledges with a laugh. (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest) 'Yes, talk about complex characters ...' he says, smiling. 'Alex just never seems to be able to do the right thing. 'He's been a joy to play though, and I've had the chance to work with some amazing folk. It is sad, of course, because River City is a huge part of the Scottish industry's eco-system.' He pauses. 'But you have to look at the positives, always, and this is a reset for me,' he adds. 'It's an opportunity to get back out there, to see what else there is.' Originally staged at Òran Mór as part of A Play, A Pie and a Pint, this longer and fully-staged version of Man's Best Friend, directed by Jemima Levick, will be at the Tron Theatre from June 19 until July 12.
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
New environmental guidance published for halted North Sea oil and gas projects
Major North Sea oil and gas projects halted by a Supreme Court ruling will be able to reapply for consent after the Government published new environmental guidance. The Supreme Court ruled last year that emissions created by burning fossil fuels should be considered when granting planning permission for new drilling sites, in a case that focused on an oil well in Surrey but reverberated through the energy sector. A challenge brought by environmental campaigners in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, over approval for the Rosebank oil field north-west of Shetland and the Jackdaw gas field off Aberdeen, was upheld at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in January. Greenpeace and Uplift had argued the UK Government and North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) had acted unlawfully when granting consent to the projects, as environmental impact assessments did not take into account downstream emissions resulting from the burning of the extracted fuels. The Government has now published new guidance on how the environmental impacts of oil and gas – including their downstream 'scope three' emissions created when the fossil fuels are burned – are included in assessments. Officials said offshore developers will now be able to submit applications for consent to extract fossil fuels in oil and gas fields that are already licensed, which includes Rosebank and Jackdaw. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will 'consider the significance of a project's environmental impact, while taking into account and balancing relevant factors on a case-by-case basis – such as the potential economic impact and other implications of the project', the Government said. Labour has previously ruled out issuing new oil and gas licences for the North Sea, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the fuels will be needed for decades to come and indicated he would not 'interfere' with existing licences. But the green groups behind the legal challenge to the Rosebank and Jackdaw schemes said they were incompatible with the UK's climate commitments to curb the greenhouse gas emissions driving rising temperatures and dangerous weather extremes. The International Energy Agency has previously said no new fossil fuel projects should be developed beyond existing fields if the world is to stay below 1.5C of global warming, beyond which increasingly dangerous and irreversible impacts of climate change will be felt. Energy minister Michael Shanks said: 'This new guidance offers clarity on the way forward for the North Sea oil and gas industry, following last year's Supreme Court ruling. 'It marks a step forward in ensuring the full implications of oil and gas extraction are considered for potential projects and that we ensure a managed, prosperous, and orderly transition to the North Sea's clean energy future, in line with the science. 'We are working with industry, trade unions, local communities and environmental groups to ensure the North Sea and its workers are at the heart of Britain's clean energy future for decades to come – supporting well-paid, skilled jobs, driving growth and boosting our energy security.' The Government pointed to £200 million in funding for a project to capture and store carbon in Aberdeenshire and a pilot in Aberdeen, along with Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire, to help workers access jobs in new clean energy industries. Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said: 'The new rules mean that oil and gas companies will finally be forced to come clean over the enormous harm they are causing to the climate.' She argued Rosebank would not lower fuel bills or boost energy independence as most of the oil would be exported, and tax breaks would mean the public would cover most of the costs of development. She also said the extreme weather the UK is experiencing 'must be a wake-up call for this Government to stand up to the oil and gas firms'. Greenpeace UK head of climate Mel Evans said: 'It's only right for the Government to take into account the emissions from burning oil and gas when deciding whether to approve fossil fuel projects currently pending. 'Since Rosebank and other drilling sites will pump out a lot of carbon while providing little benefit to the economy and no help to bill payers, they should fail the criteria ministers have just set out. She said approving the projects would be a 'political sleight of hand' that would benefit oil giants while leaving the UK hooked on fossil fuels. 'Real energy security and future-proofed jobs for energy workers can only come through homegrown, cheap renewable energy, and that's what ministers should focus on,' she urged.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New environmental guidance published for halted North Sea oil and gas projects
Major North Sea oil and gas projects halted by a Supreme Court ruling will be able to reapply for consent after the Government published new environmental guidance. The Supreme Court ruled last year that emissions created by burning fossil fuels should be considered when granting planning permission for new drilling sites, in a case that focused on an oil well in Surrey but reverberated through the energy sector. A challenge brought by environmental campaigners in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, over approval for the Rosebank oil field north-west of Shetland and the Jackdaw gas field off Aberdeen, was upheld at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in January. Greenpeace and Uplift had argued the UK Government and North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) had acted unlawfully when granting consent to the projects, as environmental impact assessments did not take into account downstream emissions resulting from the burning of the extracted fuels. The Government has now published new guidance on how the environmental impacts of oil and gas – including their downstream 'scope three' emissions created when the fossil fuels are burned – are included in assessments. Officials said offshore developers will now be able to submit applications for consent to extract fossil fuels in oil and gas fields that are already licensed, which includes Rosebank and Jackdaw. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will 'consider the significance of a project's environmental impact, while taking into account and balancing relevant factors on a case-by-case basis – such as the potential economic impact and other implications of the project', the Government said. Labour has previously ruled out issuing new oil and gas licences for the North Sea, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the fuels will be needed for decades to come and indicated he would not 'interfere' with existing licences. But the green groups behind the legal challenge to the Rosebank and Jackdaw schemes said they were incompatible with the UK's climate commitments to curb the greenhouse gas emissions driving rising temperatures and dangerous weather extremes. The International Energy Agency has previously said no new fossil fuel projects should be developed beyond existing fields if the world is to stay below 1.5C of global warming, beyond which increasingly dangerous and irreversible impacts of climate change will be felt. Energy minister Michael Shanks said: 'This new guidance offers clarity on the way forward for the North Sea oil and gas industry, following last year's Supreme Court ruling. 'It marks a step forward in ensuring the full implications of oil and gas extraction are considered for potential projects and that we ensure a managed, prosperous, and orderly transition to the North Sea's clean energy future, in line with the science. 'We are working with industry, trade unions, local communities and environmental groups to ensure the North Sea and its workers are at the heart of Britain's clean energy future for decades to come – supporting well-paid, skilled jobs, driving growth and boosting our energy security.' The Government pointed to £200 million in funding for a project to capture and store carbon in Aberdeenshire and a pilot in Aberdeen, along with Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire, to help workers access jobs in new clean energy industries. Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said: 'The new rules mean that oil and gas companies will finally be forced to come clean over the enormous harm they are causing to the climate.' She argued Rosebank would not lower fuel bills or boost energy independence as most of the oil would be exported, and tax breaks would mean the public would cover most of the costs of development. She also said the extreme weather the UK is experiencing 'must be a wake-up call for this Government to stand up to the oil and gas firms'. Greenpeace UK head of climate Mel Evans said: 'It's only right for the Government to take into account the emissions from burning oil and gas when deciding whether to approve fossil fuel projects currently pending. 'Since Rosebank and other drilling sites will pump out a lot of carbon while providing little benefit to the economy and no help to bill payers, they should fail the criteria ministers have just set out. She said approving the projects would be a 'political sleight of hand' that would benefit oil giants while leaving the UK hooked on fossil fuels. 'Real energy security and future-proofed jobs for energy workers can only come through homegrown, cheap renewable energy, and that's what ministers should focus on,' she urged.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Miliband to open door to North Sea drilling
Two of the North Sea's most controversial drilling projects are set to go ahead as Ed Miliband rewrites the rules on carbon emissions. The Energy Secretary is preparing to change the law on Britain's greenhouse gas emissions, which were relied on by a court last autumn to block Equinor's Rosebank oil field, off Shetland, and Shell's Jackdaw gas field, off Aberdeen. Such a move would pave the way for the construction of the giant oil fields, and possibly open the door for more stalled fossil fuel projects in British waters to be restarted. The two North Sea sites, which were once described as 'climate vandalism' by Mr Miliband, were blocked after environmentalists successfully challenged their oil and gas production licences. Courts in Scotland backed claims that Mr Miliband's predecessors were wrong to approve the projects without considering the greenhouse gas emissions the oil and gas would generate from being burnt. The court ruling infuriated Shell and Equinor, which had already spent hundreds of millions of pounds on the projects, leading to meetings between their top executives and senior ministers. However, the Government is expected to release a draft of its new guidance on how to assess such emissions, The Telegraphunderstands – effectively opening the door for the energy giants to regain their licences and start producing oil and gas. Mr Miliband's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero last night refused to comment on 'speculation' but a spokesman said: 'Michael Shanks, [the junior energy minister] is in Scotland on Thursday and we will say more then.' It is understood that the draft rules will first be subject to a consultation after which companies will be able to reapply for licences awarded before the court ruling. Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, have both previously spoken in favour of the projects – despite Mr Miliband's past opposition. Rosebank and Jackdaw are respectively the largest and second largest undeveloped reserves left in UK waters, and could produce oil and gas for the next two to three decades once in production. Jackdaw, a gas field 150 miles east of Aberdeen, is expected to account for 6pc of the UK's entire gas output once it comes on stream – potentially supplying several million homes. Rosebank, 60 miles north-west of Shetland, will produce mainly oil which will be loaded into tankers and mostly exported, with the UK gaining from the taxes it generates. However the new rules could lead to approval for many other such developments, potentially including the giant Cambo oil field controlled by Ithaca, which is also involved in Rosebank. This is because the legal rulings that led to Rosebank and Jackdaw being blocked also froze development of many other UK fields whose licences had been issued under the same flawed assessment system. These are thought to include the next phase of BP's giant Clair oil field and Serica Energy's Buchan Horst field. Martin Copeland, of Serica Energy, said he would welcome any such move by the Government. 'These legal rulings have caused a hiatus across the North Sea,' he said. 'It goes far wider than Rosebank and Jackdaw. There are many other smaller developments that have been held up, impacting the supply chain companies and all their workers.' The Scottish judicial review into Jackdaw and Rosebank followed a previous Supreme Court ruling in a separate case brought by environmental activist Sarah Finch against Surrey county council. Court actions She accused the council of acting unlawfully in allowing planning permission for oil production without considering its climate impacts. The action related to a small oil field near Gatwick airport, but the ruling in her favour had implications for the entire UK oil and gas industry. That result was used by Greenpeace and Uplift, environmental campaign groups, to win the Scottish court actions against, respectively, Shell and Equinor. The judge, Lord Ericht, banned production, ruling that 'the private interest of members of the public in climate change outweigh the private interest of the developers'. That ruling prompted the two main regulators – the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning, and the North Sea Transition Authority – to pause licensing decisions while the Government drew up new rules for assessing 'Scope 3' emissions – the term for greenhouse gases generated by the end-users of oil and gas products. Last night Ms Finch, said the Government announcement of a new assessment process was long overdue. 'It means Equinor and Shell will have to submit new applications to develop these fields taking full account of all the emissions they will generate, including from burning the oil and gas they produce,' she said. 'We want to see a robust process in full knowledge of their climate impacts.'
