I begin this first column of 2022 by wishing all Banffshire Journal readers a very happy new year!
I hope everyone had a nice festive break.
Covid-19 is sadly still with us but, due to the fantastic UK-wide vaccine and booster programme, we are in a far better place than this time last year – even with the arrival of the new Omicron variant.
At time of writing, positive cases are still high but thankfully the mortality rate appears to be drastically lower, and vaccinations are helping keep hospitalisations down.
So, the best advice for everyone, is still to get the vaccine and booster/third jabs when eligible.
Regular self-testing is also important – particularly when planning to meet with groups of people you don’t normally meet with.
We must all also continue to follow Government guidelines and restrictions – although these too are slowly being relaxed.
I was glad to see the First Minister follow the science (and the UK Government) in reducing the isolation period from ten to seven days, as well as removing the need for a PCR test to confirm a positive lateral flow test.
Now that the UK Government has reduced the isolation period in England to five days it will be interesting to see if the Scottish Government follows suit.
It is really disappointing that the SNP continue to talk-down the prospects of the Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Hydrogen Project at St Fergus.
The project’s role as the first reserve cluster means that the UK Government continues to actively engage with the project developers on development and planning.
Project developers, Storegga, are still confident that the project will be operational by 2026
CCS is a key component of the North Sea Transition Deal agreed between the oil and gas industry and the UK Government.
I was delighted to receive assurances last week in the House of Commons that both the Acorn project and the oil and gas sector as a whole, continue to have the full support of the UK Government.
This is in sharp contrast to the SNP of late, who seem to have abandon the industry in favour of pleasing their independence-supporting Scottish Green Party Government colleagues.
The industry supports jobs and livelihoods here in Banff and Buchan but also makes a huge contribution to the energy transition we must make to get to net-zero.
The vast array of skills, technology and investment in the industry have already been playing a vital role in making the energy transition happen.
Of course, we need to develop the cleaner energy sources of the future but that won’t happen overnight.
There remains a demand – albeit declining – for hydrocarbons while renewable and low-carbon technology is developed and capacity increased.
And, although we have been a net importer since 2004, it would be foolish of us not to fill that demand with as much of our own domestic sources as possible.
Oil and gas companies are the driving force at the front end of making the transition happen and helping the UK become a centre of excellence for energy transition.
COP26 showed us that the whole world is going to have to move through that transition and here, in the UK – particularly here in North East Scotland – we have the opportunity to show the world how it is done.