The future of the North Sea is being reset as ministers move to lock in green energy investment while managing the long tail of oil and gas.
A new North Sea Future Board has been launched in Aberdeen tasked with driving the government’s plan to turn the basin into a long term clean energy powerhouse without abandoning its existing workforce or supply chains.
The board brings together industry bodies from oil gas and clean energy alongside trade unions and local leaders with a mandate to boost investment unblock barriers and protect highly skilled jobs as the transition accelerates.
It lands at a pivotal moment. This week the UK and EU agreed a clean energy security pact committing to deliver 100 GW of joint offshore wind projects in the North Sea as part of a wider ambition to reach 300 GW by 2050.
The government is positioning the basin as the engine room of Britain’s future energy system with offshore wind carbon storage hydrogen and long duration energy infrastructure sitting alongside declining but still active oil and gas production.
Early 2026 has already delivered momentum. The UK secured Europe’s largest ever offshore wind auction awarding 8.4 GW of capacity enough to power 12 million homes with Scotland seeing successful projects for the first time in three years.
Ministers say the challenge now is coordination. Decades of offshore expertise must be redeployed not lost with investment signals clear enough to keep supply chains anchored in the UK.
Michael Shanks, UK Energy Minister, said: “We are at a turning point in the North Sea’s success story and our actions now will determine the huge potential for it to become the clean energy powerhouse of Britain.
“This is a call to arms for all those involved to come together in building a lasting future that will secure generations of highly skilled jobs and investment while managing existing oil and gas production for decades to come.”
The North Sea Future Plan sets out a managed transition growing clean energy industries while supporting oil and gas fields through their remaining life and helping workers move between sectors without falling out of the system.
The new board will meet quarterly to oversee delivery across all North Sea regions focusing on investment pipeline workforce support and new opportunities for offshore supply chains.
Stuart Payne, Chief Executive of the North Sea Transition Authority, said: “Through the new board we have a fantastic opportunity to shape the future of the North Sea across the entire energy sector.”
He added: “Together we can manage the energy transition in a way that supports jobs drives investment and delivers net zero.”
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