Scotland’s Net Zero Technology Centre Visit Highlights The Positive Future Role Of Natural Gas

The Net Zero Technology team shared information about ground-breaking technologies, highlighting how their work collaborating across sectors and regions, innovating, and developing new skills has created employment opportunities.

Energy Resources Aotearoa’s visit to Scotland’s Net Zero Technology Centre in Aberdeen has shown how the development of world-leading technologies can be applied in New Zealand and enhance the positive contribution natural gas makes to our energy security.

Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive, John Carnegie visited the Centre to learn about innovations and ways of working in the United Kingdom (UK) and beyond.

The UK’s oil and gas sector has been given the ‘latitude to think differently’ - an open mandate by the Scottish and UK Governments to innovate. This is advancing efforts to sustainably achieve low carbon goals - while also keeping the lights on and creating new jobs and technology.

Examples of successes include the establishment of academic centres of excellence, and innovations around the utilisation of non-producing gas wells post-decommissioning for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).

Mr. Carnegie says "New Zealand’s oil and gas sector needs this kind of latitude. We have smart and dedicated people who can drive future-focused innovation - this is potentially a game-changer in the New Zealand context."

"The technology being developed here in Scotland and the approaches to unlocking innovation are truly transformative."

"New Zealand is facing challenges in providing a secure supply of energy to households. Adopting new technologies to enable more efficient gas production can help us achieve our climate goals faster, ensuring a reliable energy future for New Zealand."

Director of Government Relations of the Net Zero Technology Centre, Stephen Sheal highlighted the value of international co-operation in strengthening supply chains to help build the jobs and technology of the future.

"By sharing our knowledge about innovative new technologies and approaches with organisations from around the world like Energy Resources Aotearoa, we hope to accelerate the global transition to net zero carbon," says Stephen Sheal.

Energy Resources Aotearoa is committed to New Zealand’s net zero pathway.

"Our engagement with the Net Zero Technology Centre is part of our dedication to understanding how cutting-edge research and technology can deliver practical and workable solutions as we move toward a zero-carbon future," says Mr. Carnegie.

Mr. Carnegie’s visit highlights the potential for cross-sector collaboration on decarbonisation, while not compromising on New Zealand’s energy resilience, including the New Zealand Government, research, science and technology sectors, as well as the oil and gas sector.

Mr. Carnegie looks forward to New Zealand working further with the UK Net Zero Technology Centre.

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