Energy Voice – Out Loud

Tune into this special Women in New Energy (WINE)-themed podcast with executives from episode sponsor STATS Group. Energy Voice news editor Erikka Askeland speak to Joanna Mountford, business development manager on her career journey and how attending the WINE event in Aberdeen last year gave her the kick she needed to take back control of her career. We also speak to Laura Scott, group HR manager on the initiatives the global firm is implementing to ensure gender equity.  

This week, Energy Voice Out Loud (EVOL) looks at the UK's spending review as Scottish energy secretary Gillian Martin says "we need more welders", and a former oil worker writes to Nigel Farage for support.  First up, the EVOL trio of Aberdeen features lead Ryan Duff, reporter Mat Perry, and E-FWD editor Ed Reed discuss Westminster's support for Acorn. It finally happened, the UK government committed to stumping up cash for the Acorn and Viking CCS projects, however, its spending review document was a little light on details. It's worth noting that after this week's recording session, Ed Miliband appeared in Peterhead to announce £200m for Acron. Next up, news editor Erikka Askeland spoke with Gillian Martin about the importance of welders in the energy transition as the first cohort of learners on a welding and fabrication pilot training scheme graduated as part of a £100,000 program funded by Ocean Winds. Finally, we discuss Reform UK and its support for nuclear (which seems to be aligned with Labour's love of reactors) and its disdain for turbines. However, when Reform gets into power, is it really as against the "utter madness" of net zero as leader Nigel Farage lets on?  

The third episode of Energy Voice's Gigawaters series explores the next phase of the UK's offshore wind rollout – the new processes and systems needed to meet future challenges. EV renewables reporter Michael Behr is joined by The Crown Estate managing director for marine Gus Jaspert and Orsted UK country manager Benj Sykes to explore how offshore wind can work in a busy North Sea. The needs of fishing, shipping and defence; coastal communities; and of course, the environment, all need to be considered for projects to work in harmony with ocean users. They discuss how the UK needs to adopt a more systematic approach to reaching the UK's clean energy goals ahead of 2030, and how all sides need to interact to ensure the country maintains its lead in offshore wind.

This week, news editor Erikka Askeland and Aberdeen features lead Ryan Duff attended the Energy Industries Council's (EIC) Energy Exports Conference in Aberdeen.   The show provided insight into how the UK is stacking up to other nations in the energy transition as Bureau Veritas launched its latest report and Aberdeen's Blazewe was honoured at an awards dinner.    Erikka spoke with Ann Johnson, director of Blaze Manufacturing Solutions, about the award and her firm's journey to it, as well as plans for the North Sea and further afield. Next, Erikka caught up with Verlume CEO Richard Knox to talk about his business' export opportunities as he looks to capitalise on recent success.   Ryan McPherson, EIC's regional director and general manager for the Middle East, Africa and CIS, joined us in our Aberdeen studio ahead of the event to share his insights.    Finally, Ryan spoke with EIC CEO Stuart Broadley about his key takeaways from the event on its last day. He said that some of the solutions to the UK's policy problems may be able to be found by looking to other nations and their approach to the energy transition. 

In this podcast, recorded live on the show floor of the Energy Exports Conference, Energy Voice Out Loud speaks with Bureau Veritas about its role as the event's Strategic Partner and the launch of the Energy Transition Forum. Aberdeen Features Lead Ryan Duff speaks with market lead for renewable energy and major projects (CCS), Darren Taylor, and energy and engineering director, Sammy Tweddle. The trio discuss pessimistic energy transition sentiment in the face of back-to-back record-breaking years for renewables roll out, offshore wind supply chain constraints and  the UK nuclear sector's permitting woes. 

In this special EVOL X Sproule ERCE podcast, Energy Voice reporter Mathew Perry is joined by Sproule ERCE decarbonisation lead Ellen Mitchell, and CCS principal and reservoir engineer Andy Moore to explore the current landscape of carbon capture and storage (CCS). The discussion spans global policy drivers like carbon pricing and climate goals, technical subsurface considerations such as capacity, injectivity and containment, and the challenges still facing the industry from cost and regulation to synchronising capture and storage infrastructure. With insights from landmark projects and expert analysis, the episode unpacks what's shaping the CCS sector across Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific.

The Energy Voice Out Loud podcast took to the road this week to broadcast a live debate from The Caves wine cellar in Edinburgh.     News editor Erikka Askeland interviewed the crème de la crème of the folks pushing the energy transition envelope.   On stage in front of a live audience, Great British Energy's policy director Paul Addison spoke about the need for a ‘north star' for 2030.    Wood Mackenzie's VP for climate consulting Valentina Kretzschmar asked if net zero is achievable, or attracting enough green investment.    Nicola Macleod spoke of the companies in private equity-backed D2Zero's portfolio that are driving the energy transition.

Flexitricity is a pioneer in demand side response (DSR) which allows businesses to benefit by adjusting the way they use energy. Tune in to hear the electric utility company's founder and chief strategy officer, Alastair Martin explain to Energy Voice renewables reporter Michael Behr how the industry is facing up to the growth of renewable energy production and the need to meet demand. The firm's FlexGO technology, which helps commercial and industrial businesses simplify their energy flexibility journey. is in the market now and will be central to future energy system management. 

The Energy Voice Out Loud crew are back to discuss all the latest news from the UK's energy sector. News editor Erikka Askeland fills in reporters Jessica Davies and Michael Behr on Ithaca's latest moves as it pushes on with Rosebank and Cambo, and buys up a hefty stake in Cygnus. And then Michael shares his thoughts on the state of the offshore wind sector - is optimism falling among key players after several setbacks?  Finally, Jessica talks carbon capture and storage, and its role in the UK's energy transition.  

All-Energy returned to Glasgow and the Energy Voice Out Loud Team were out in force, chatting to folks on the show floor, listening to panels and keeping you up to date with all the latest announcements.  In this episode of EVOL, news editor Erikka Askeland, renewables reporter Michael Behr, Aberdeen features lead Ryan Duff chat with a handfull of the most interesting people in attendance at Glasgow's SEC.  First up, Ryan speaks with Statera Energy's policy manager Phoebe Finn about the importance of large-scale renewables projects in the north-east of Scotland as employment uncertainty continues to hit the region. Also, Finn points to policy drivers that could be hindering the UK hydrogen sector's progress and what can be done to fix it. Michael spoke with the Changineer, consultant Danielle Dare, about the carbon footprints of everyday objects. Which has the higher emissions - a Zoom call, 1kg of asparagus, a bank account or a cup of tea? Michael finds out. And Erikka speaks with Emma Behjat, chairwoman of the AXIS network to recap their All Energy session entitled Make DEI Great Again and why energy companies can benefit by sticking to the plan to develop talent. Energy Voice's team of reporters managed to record a few more conversations while at All-Energy so stay tuned in the coming weeks for more insight from the UK's largest renewable energies conference.

Join Energy Voice Out Loud as we broadcast from the show floor of All-Energy 2025, the UK's largest renewable and low-carbon energy event. In this special episode, our reporters sit down with the five All-Energy Ambassadors to explore the key themes and insights shaping the future of energy. Hear from: Dr. Kerry-Ann Adamson, VP & Global Hydrogen Lead at Capgemini Clare Foster, Partner & Head of Clean Energy at Shepherd and Wedderburn Iain Sinclair, Executive Director at Global Energy Lesley McNeil, Head of External & Corporate Affairs at Muirhall Energy Christianna Logan, Director of Customers & Stakeholders at SSEN Transmission Each ambassador shares their unique perspective on their area of expertise, highlights from the sessions they're involved in, and the vital role All-Energy plays in driving innovation, collaboration, and progress across the sector.

On this episode of Energy Voice Out Loud in partnership with ABB, reporter Mathew Perry speaks with Matt Wise, the head of strategy and business development at ABB's Electrification Service division.   Together they explore how behind-the-meter energy storage is transforming industrial electricity consumers into active market players across the UK and Europe.   As energy markets grow more volatile, businesses are looking for smarter, more flexible ways to manage supply, reduce costs, and even generate revenue - without the need for a large upfront capital investment.   

Being able to visualise what is out at sea from the beach is a game changer for the offshore industry. But what if you started working for an energy company and ended up working for a tech start up without having to leave the business you started working for? Sarah Shearer, head of Aberdeen and people operations manager at Aize, shares her story of working at the forefront of digital twin technology and where the energy industry can go from here.

This week, there has been a whole lot of doom and gloom in the UK energy market. Harbour Energy announced 250 job cuts in Aberdeen, Ørsted discontinued its Hornsea 4 offshore wind project, and Drax opted not to bid for its Cruachan II in the Cap and Floor mechanism. Up first, news reporter Mat Perry discusses the UK's largest oil and gas operator slashing 25% of its UK onshore headcount as it downgrades spending in the country. Aberdeen Features Lead Ryan Duff gives his two cents on the state of job losses in the north-east of Scotland and the wider North Sea, brace yourself for explicit language.  Next up, Mat and renewables reporter Michael Behr discuss why Ørsted has pulled the hand brake on a major offshore wind project. Pumped storage hydro was also mentioned, as Cruachan II gives the cap and floor scheme a swerve after battery firms argued that the mechanism was biased towards such projects.  And finally, Michael chats with Guy Newey, chief executive officer at the Energy Systems Catapult about the ever-divisive zonal pricing debate and how it could help drive innovation in the energy sector.

This week Scotland's only oil refinery ceased production, prompting outrage from unions that forecast the "wrath" of voters in next year's Holyrood election, European supermajors BP and Equinor unveiled their Q1 results and Octopus Energy's CEO defended his zonal pricing views.  Up first, Aberdeen features lead Ryan Duff discusses the closure of Grangemouth's oil refinery and its political ramifications, while news reporter Mathew Perry asks about the implications for the Acorn CCS project which is yet to see certainty. With the Scotland carbon capture project caught in limbo questions are asked of the future of Scottish industry.  Renewables reporter Michael Behr has been the man on the markets this week as he kept an eye on Equinor and BP's books. The Energy Voice Out Loud presenting trio play a game of Good News, Bad News and they debate whether the first quarter reports were positive or as one analyst said, "disappointing". Finally, Energy Voice has been at the Innovation zero conference in the capital as London correspondent Jessica Davies chats with Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson as he defended his views on zonal pricing. He has been a supporter of the structure that will see Scotland's energy prices plummet, however, others have said that the move would impact the economic viability of wind projects in the country. 

This week, Energy Voice's intrepid reporters Mat and Mike explored the recent announcement that the government is set to approve Eni's HyNet carbon capture and storage project. The deal comes with financial support for the Track 1 project, and adds momentum to the UK's CCS journey. We also catch up with news editor Erikka, who was at the North Sea Decarbonisation conference this week, finding out all about how the UK needs to reshape its industries, create new partnerships and generate sustainable jobs to secure a greener future.  And back in the studio, Mike and Mat chat about the £300m coming from GB Energy to invest in the UK's offshore wind supply chains. But is this a strong enough signal for the sector, which has seen mixed signals coming from the government?

This week Wood provided updates on Sidara's proposed £250 million takeover, NESO declared war on zombies in the grid queue, and Equinor and Orsted warned of the impacts of wake loss. Aberdeen-headquartered Wood received a non-binding takeover bid from Dubai-based rival Sidara worth £250m, a significant drop-off compared to last year's £1.5 billion bid. Our reporters discuss this, Wood's shares being suspended and them impacts of yet another Scottish company being bought over by international competitors.  Next up, the UK's National Energy System Operator (NESO) unveiled plans to get rid of 'zombies' from the grid queue in a collaboration with regulator Ofgem. This could see up to 360GW of projects on the current queue have their contracts downgraded because they are not ready. What does this mean and is it a result of too much dithering from the UK? Finally, European energy giants Equinor and Orsted have said offshore wind revenues could take a £363m hit due to other projects getting in the way of their turbines. Although those in the Tour de France peloton don't mind the frontrunner taking the brunt of the wind resistance, turbine operators do. Does industry need to share its survey results so all can benefit from the North Sea breeze? 

This week we got further updates on the Neo Energy and Repsol tie-up, Kistos' full year results for 2024 and the results of HAR2. Energy Voice's Ryan Duff, Erikka Askeland and Mat Perry discuss. First up, what's happening at Flotta? Erikka chats about the gas terminal's hydrogen plans and what attracted Neo Energy's private equity backers to the Spanish firm's UK division. Ryan argues that tax incentives from Repsol's extensive decommissioning liabilities may be the answer.  Next up, Ryan discusses Kistos and its plans to expand the Greater Laggan Area off the west coast of Shetland. The firm has brought attention to the Glendronach field now that operatorship of the area is changing hands. When talking about gas, there has to be a Trump, the trio discusses how US policy is impacting global oil and gas firms.  Finally, Mat chats about hydrogen and the results of HAR2. Was it perfect? No, but maybe it doesn't need to be. He discusses some of the talking points from a recent conference in Birmingham, which touched on getting hydrogen "good" but it doesn't need to be "perfect" in order to unlock investment. Price is still a sticking point for this fuel source but the government is aiming to tackle this too. 

For 30 years Alan Smith, now head of investigations at COMET, served in the police before turning his attention to industrial investigations.   Smith sat down with Energy Voice Aberdeen features lead, Ryan Duff, to discuss his career in the police, his shift to the private sector and how his approach to investigations had to change when he left law enforcement.   “I knew instinctively that when my police career came to an end that I was going to move into the world of industry investigations,” said Smith.  The self-proclaimed “career investigator” joined what was then called Grampian Police, where he became a detective. Investigating incidents in the North Sea fell under his remit while in the police, something that set him up for a life in industrial investigations.  Smith's career post-police work has taken him to various places around the globe to investigate a range of incidents. Listen to Alan Smith's full conversation with Energy Voice.

Stuart Broadley, chief executive, Energy Industries Council (EIC) has called for an “adult conversation” and “honesty” to admit the UK won't meet it legal obligation to become net zero by 2050 nor will it meet interim low carbon targets in 2030. However, embracing this reality risks a tumbling a “house of cards” of consequences. Tune into this hard-hitting interview to find out why, instead, the UK must embrace “all energy sectors” or else the economy will a face a severe jobs crisis with entire clean energy sectors such as hydrogen at risk of never happening.

In this week's episode of Energy Voice Out Loud, Ryan, Mat and Michael discuss Petrofac's recent $500m contract award. Is it what the company, and the North Sea services sector in general, need to turn their fortunes around? Both could do with some good news. And then we heard from Mat, who travelled down to Birmingham this week for the Hydrogen UK annual conference, and spoke to the organisation's chief executive Clare Jackson about how the UK sector has progressed in the past year. And finally, Erikka was at NZTC's Net Zero Innovation show in Aberdeen and spoke to Mark Anderson, chief acceleration officer at the Net Zero Technology Centre, Paul Pirrie, co-founder of show exhibitor and TechX program graduate Myriad Wind Energy Systems, North Sea legend and UK Technology Platform director Colin Black and last but definitely not least Paul Addison, director of policy and external affairs for GB Energy. 

This week's episode was rocked by the announcement Repsol was merging its North Sea assets with private-equity backed Neo Energy. Energy Voice reporter Mathew Perry explains this is part of a trend for operators to distance themselves from the basin including Shell and Equinor, while Michael Behr confirms this the supply chain is also making marriages of convenience. One of the big North Sea buyers has been Ithaca Energy, which last year combined with Eni which in turn had absorbed Neptune Energy. Now they are looking at reviving the fortunes of West of Shetland's Cambo, the basin's second largest undeveloped oil and gas find and green campaigner bogeyman. Lastly, news editor Erikka Askeland tackles Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spring statement that wasn't, at least for the energy industry, and asks if it's possible for the UK to claim to be a superpower of both clean energy as well as the defence industry. 

Scotland is currently leading the world in the development and testing of tidal stream and wave energy technologies. Two of the world's first tidal stream arrays have been built and operated in Scotland since 2016. Excitement for the sector is also growing since a number of projects have won support through the UK's contracts for difference (CfD) scheme in recent years. Turn in to hear Energy Voice news editor speak to Johanna Money, energy transition specialist at Scottish Enterprise, about the vast economic and environmental potential for Scotland underneath the water as it develops energy generation technology that is clean and comes from consistent and predictable tides. We also take a trip up to Orkney to speak with Eileen Linklater, corporate affairs director of European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), where conditions are ideal to prove why the tide will wait for no one.

This week, the Energy Voice Out Loud team have been out and about to bring you the first word in UK energy. It's been a big week for GB Energy, with its first board meeting up in Aberdeen. Jessica Mills Davies, Mat Perry and Michael Behr discuss the proposed state-owned energy company's ambitions and what it will take to deliver on them. Reporter Mat recently travelled to Italy to learn more about the country's efforts to become a world leader in floating offshore wind, and what it might mean for UK firms". And at DeCarbScotland, Michael caught up with Storegga to talk about their Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage development and how it helps underpin the Scottish Cluster of projects and the proposed renovation of Grangemouth.

The UK energy industry has reached a critical stage of the transition: at stake is the fate of tens of thousands of workers across the UK, including in the North Sea and Grangemouth, who have the skills to deliver the clean energy of the future. Tune in to the first ever episode of Energy Voice Live, where a live audience interacts with expert panellists who discuss how industry and government have just a few short months to shore up a plan that will close the gap between energy jobs now and those of the future. Chaired by Energy Voice news editor Erikka Askeland, hear Nick Dunn, chief executive of Peterhead-based energy services firm Score, and Professor Paul de Leeuw from the Robert Gordon University Energy Transition Institute highlight why we need to tell more people about the “biggest replumbing, rewiring, repurposing” of the energy system in the world.  

Power up your listening with the latest podcast from Energy Voice.   In this latest episode in partnership with SSE, Mathew Perry talks to Deepa Chandrasekaran, managing director of Source, a charging hub joint venture between SSE and TotalEnergies and Vicky Read from ChargeUK, the voice of the EV charging industry.  Together they explore the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and the sustainable infrastructure needed to keep them on the road - as well as looking under the hood of the Government's recent consultation into the phase-out of petrol and diesel cars by 2030.   

Energy Voice discusses the findings of the Wellbeing Report with Step Change in Safety, Mental Health in Energy and the Marine Safety Forum.  The report found that North Sea workers aged between 35 and 64 are more likely to believe accessing mental health support will negatively impact their careers.  In this podcast, we discuss how to communicate mental health support to different demographics of workers, how managers are equipped to have discussions with those offshore and what's next for the industry as it tackles wellbeing pain points. 

This week the Energy Voice and E-FWD teams have been out and about! With the AREG and SPE event in Aberdeen and E-FWD making its Teesside debut Energy Voice Out Loud takes to the road.   First up, Scottish Energy Futures Conference co-chair Iain Philip gives us the low down on the Aberdeen event while Aberdeen University's John Underhill discusses the futrue of UK energy.    Next up, Ryan talks with Energy Voice's own Jeremy Cresswell about the involvement of China in the UK's supply chain. It's fair to say that Energy Voice's emeritus editor has some strong opinions about how the UK can fund domestic firms.  And finally, Michael and Ed talk over the big topic of how things are - or are not - progressing in Tees Valley. There have been some big wins for the area, most notably the big CCS project, but BP's decision to cancel its green hydrogen plans have raised tough questions.

In this special International Women's Day episode of Energy Voice Out Loud, join Fugro's Nicola Welsh, UK Country Director, and Linda Stewart, Director of Marine Geophysical – Europe as they discuss the actionable steps leaders can take to build more diverse and inclusive teams. Tune in for valuable insights on driving meaningful change in the workplace.

The Energy Voice crew are back in the studio, as Ryan, Mathew and Michael sit down to discuss an increasingly shaky energy transition. Case in point – BP and its recent decision to slash low-carbon investment by $5bn. They said went “too far too fast,” in its shift to renewable energy. Now the company is reevaluating its commitment to clean energy and refocusing on its core oil and gas business. We also chatted with Cameron Sword – he caught our attention when he put some pointed questions to Michael Shanks during a BBC Debate Night, so we spoke with him about his thoughts on the future of the energy sector. And to wrap things up, Mat talks about the latest manoeuvres to create a future for Grangemouth and save 400 jobs. But can clean energy, be it sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen or carbon capture create a business case for the facility?

Tune in to hear Finlay McCutcheon, managing director SSE Thermal, discuss the critical role flexible energy plays in ensuring the lights stay on and homes stay warm even on the coldest days. Speaking with Energy Voice news editor Erikka Askeland, Finlay sets out how gas power provides the flexibility that enables renewables to play a growing role in the UK energy mix and how it fits into the UK's clean power plan.  This also looks at SSE Thermal's ambitious plans to develop and decarbonise its operations to ensure the UK has low carbon power particularly in varying wind conditions and to meet our growing need for electricity.

This week the Energy Voice team has been on the show floor at Subsea Expo in Aberdeen's P&J Live. The annual Global Under Water Hub event hosted those from across the energy sector as floating wind was high on the agenda.   Aberdeen Features lead Ryan Duff sat down with Yvonne Telford, research director for north-west Europe energy market intelligence at Westwood, and spoke about the cost of decommissioning. Additionally, she addressed the recent court ruling that will result in Equinor and Shell filing new environmental impact assessments for the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.    Next up, news editor Erikka Askeland spoke to Aleks Jurczak, director of strategy and marketing for MDL, on the show floor about "blurring" lines between the different energy sectors, namely oil and gas, wind and decommissioning. Keeping herself busy, Erikka then spoke to Adam Reed, global leader of offshore renewables and upstream energy at Allianz Commercial, at the Energy Voice stand.   Finally, Ryan caught up with Richard Knox, CEO of Verlume, to discuss a recent project that saw his firm partner with two other Aberdeen businesses to deliver power to a Canadian oil field while its FPSO left for maintenance and how the technology they developed can be rolled out across the pond. 

This week Ryan Duff, Erikka Askeland and Michael Behr discuss jobs jobs jobs! How are firms trimming the fat, where are they getting new talent and is there enough people in the industry to deliver net zero? Erikka kicks off proceedings by talking through BP's change in direction. The supermajor announced a new strategy in its Q4 results following a dip in profits and the announcement that it would be cutting 7,700 jobs globally. BP has not been alone in its redundancy drive as Ithaca Energy also announced "inevitable" cuts this week.  Next up, Ryan discusses National Apprentice Week as the industry announces a wave of initiatives to bring young people into the industry. Additionally, ECITB and ORE Catapult launched a scheme to promote cross-sector working in oil and gas and wind. The government is also claiming to back "good jobs" as it unveiled a plan to give wind developers additional funds if they commit to UK manufacturing. Finally, Michael has been looking at CCS, namely Perenco kicking off injection at its Poseidon project. The French firm has claimed a UK record as it was the first to perform a CO2 injection as it tested how the greenhouse gas would behave in its reservoir. CCS is also set to play a big role in creating jobs and offers an opportunity for oil and gas workers to continue doing very similar work, however, the sector is seeing pushback from sceptics. 

  This week Energy Voice reporter Mat Perry takes us down under to his homeland to find why Scottish wave technology firm Mocean is riding high in the Australian surf and why GB Energy should be paying attention. The Micheal Behr goes to China and give insight into the debate – should we be making sure the world's largest wind turbine developer Mingyang doesn't get fed up with delay and take its plans for a factory in Scotland home, or should the European industry be very scared? Ryan Duff reports from the show floor of the Offshore Energies UK HSE conference and meets Lucy Easthope, the UK's leading expert on disasters and how to recover from them.

There's plenty going on in UK energy this week as Shell and Equinor's court case came to a close just in time for Ryan Duff to come back from his holiday and discuss with Mat Perry and Erikka Askeland. First up, Mat explains why all sides have claimed victory following a ruling at Scotland's Court of Session which overturned approvals for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields. The ball is now in Ed Miliband's court as he has to write the rulebook on how UK operators calculate downstream emissions. Ryan has been chatting with Serica CEO Chris Cox who is "always looking on the bright side of life," according to Erikka. Cox has discussed his intentions to double down on UK mergers and acquisitions after his firm previously looked to Norway. With assets being too expensive across the border and optimism that things can only get better, Cox is shopping in the North Sea.  Finally, Carbon credits crunch Spirit Energy as it asks for “modest, pragmatic” support from the UK government. Erikka discusses how the firm which is celebrating 40 years of production from its Morecambe hub this month is running into issues with its CCS ambitions for the site. 

We are on the road this episode of Energy Voice Out Loud. But first Energy Voice news editor Erikka Askeland and features lead Ryan Duff discuss the late delivery of long-awaited the energy skills passport. Then we head to Glasgow where Mathew Perry and Michael Behr dish the latest on the industry from the floor of the Scottish Renewables Offshore Wind Conference. Also, we take over the studio at the E-FWD breakfast event – also in Glasgow, where Mat got the chance to grill Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and Erikka talked with Dr Marie Macklin on efforts to energise the Halo regeneration of Kilmarnock

The Energy Voice Out Loud team of Ryan Duff, Mathew Perry and Jessica Mills Davies dive into the week's headlines.   Mat has been listening to UK energy secretary Ed Miliband as he committed to discussing the UK government's oil and gas licence ban with operators and industry stakeholders. The Labour politician also touched on grid connection and how a first come first served policy may not be the best approach for the UK to meet its net zero targets.    Next up Jess has been keeping an eye on nuclear. This week EDF's auditor claimed that the bill for Hinkley Point C is set to exceed £40 billion. The French energy giant's auditors also said the firm should delay its investment in UK nuclear power project Sizewell C. This comes as ECITB shared data that the nuclear workforce has exceeded that of oil and gas in the engineering and construction industry.    Finally, Ryan discusses UK hurting for Hunting. The firm has continued to rally against the UK's tax regime as oil and gas operators slash spending in the North Sea as it announced a restructuring plan which will impact operations in the country as well as the Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Hunting employs around 200 people across its three UK sites, however, it was unable to confirm how this process will impact headcount. 

Listen in to Hexagon experts, Edgardo Moreno, Sean Locke and Rick Standish, explain how Hexagon has grown its global services footprint integrating leading technologies in visualisation and data to become a leader in digital twins.   In this wide-ranging discussion with Energy Voice news editor Erikka Askeland, hear how Hexagon is working closely with operators of late life assets to improve monitoring in a cost-effective way.

The Energy Voice Out Loud team of Erikka Askeland, Mathew Perry and Ryan Duff welcome the new year in the first recording of this popular podcast series in 2025. Ryan looks at the latest political wrangles over SSE Transmission plans for its Tealing to Kintore overhead lines. Mat discusses the latest investments in battery energy storage projects in Scotland, this time on a disused coal mine South Lanarkshire. Last but not least, Erikka looks at what's coming up next in 2025, taking in some of the bleak midwinter views of the energy supply chain, expectations for offshore wind and the inauguration of Trump.

Ho ho ho – holy moly it's the Christmas quiz! It's the time of year when, once again, the intrepid team of Energy Voice Out Louders put down their news-gathering hats and grasp the turkey-stuffed cracker-wielding gift-wrapped brain teaser that is the annual quiz. The contestants are “roustabout” Ryan Duff, Michael “the bulldozer” Behr, Mat “powerline” Perry and Jess “divining” Davies – but who will emerge triumphant? Follow along at home and see if you can do any better! This is the last episode of EVOL for 2024. We'll kick things off in the new year but, for the time being, enjoy!  

In this special episode, listen toRoger Esson, head of sales UK, Europe and Caspian set out the remarkable journey of Centurion Group, as it moved decisively from oil field services to supporting customers in critical industries across remote locations around the world. Energy voice news editor Erikka Askeland also speaks to Jenny Stark, head of corporate projects for Centurion, on what they are looking for in the acquisition strategy.

AI dominated discussions at Adipec this year, with Adnoc head Sultan Al-Jaber singling it out as one of three megatrends. Siemens Energy VP Kirsten Roden sat down at the show with editor Ed Reed to set him right on AI's possibilities and potential for new thinking around demand planning.

Christmas may be looming but the news just keeps on coming! In this festive video special edition of Energy Voice Out Loud Ryan discusses CCS permits, Erikka tackles North Sea shenanigans and Mat chats about Bernard Looney's return to energy.  The week saw the NSTA grant a UK first CCS permit that will allow the infastructure to be installed at the East Coast Cluster. This came about as the Northern Endurance Partnership made a final investment decision on the Tack 1 winning carbon storage development.  Erikka had one hell of a morning rounding up Serica's acquisition of Parkmead assets, “serious misconduct”'s farm down of its Earlham and Orwell developments and Connaught selling out of UK gas field to Reabold. One thing's for certain, the UK North Sea is going to be a much different beast in 2025.  Finally, Mat has been looking into former BP CEO Bernard Looney's return to energy as he was appointed to the board of board of ADNOC subsidiary XRG. Looney left BP amid scandal involving personal relationships with with colleagues and misleading the company's board but is set to make a return following his appointment to a tech firm earlier in the year. 

Ryan, Mark and Michael throw the script out the window as we discuss the partnership between Equinor and Shell. The new tie-up could create a North Sea production powerhouse, but are the oil majors looking to protect themselves from the Rosebank and Jackdaw lawsuits, and what will the competition watchdog have to say? We also discuss the new Scottish budget. It left the ScotWind pot untouched and promised a raft of benefits for offshore wind and the energy transition, though it remains to be seen if it can deliver Scotland's green ambitions. And finally, Mark's been chatting with Xlinks, the company looking to connect the UK and Morocco with a massive 4,000km subsea cable – just the first step in its vision for a “global grid”.