Malcolm Wicks, Former Minister of State for Energy

EEEGR is a great example of an industry association that continues to work hard for its members and for the region. It creates a high profile for the East of England to compete on a national and international level, and in doing so showcases the Southern North Sea region as an area of high activity, large scale redevelopment and rapid growth, for energy from both hydrocarbon and renewable sources.

Technological innovation has played a crucial part in the Progress of the UK Continental Shelf for over 40 years. New technologies have helped to enhance recovery rates and allowed us to push the boundaries further than anyone would have thought possible. I am pleased that this is highlighted with the Annual Energy Innovation awards hosted by EEEGR which continues to go from strength to strength. As we push these technological boundaries the continued development of new solutions will play a key role in maintaining the UK as a global leader in the supply of offshore services in a wide range of oil and gas producing provinces.

We also need to recognise that a key challenge to the industry is the need for more skilled personnel. The industry must work closely with programmes such as The Skills for Energy partnership to ensure that efforts to attract and develop the best talent are maximised.

The Government has had to make some bold decisions to set this country on the right course to meet the twin challenges of energy security and climate change - and where legislation is needed we are now putting these decisions into effect through the Energy Bill.

Clean Coal technologies, new nuclear power stations and a greatly increased renewable energy sector are all vital parts of the future mix, but hydrocarbons and the flexibility that these fossil fuels bring us will continue to be important in meeting our energy requirements for decades to come.

It is therefore essential we continue to maximise our natural resources from the Southern North Sea while looking to minimise impacts on climate change. So exploring Carbon Capture and Storage will become a vital part of the plan for the future. We are leading the world in CCS for post-combustion coal, but our hope is of course that CCS will apply to all fossil fuels.

I fully support EEEGR's vision for "... sustainable production and wise use of energy" and I wish all members every success as we enter a new and exciting era for the industry.

Malcolm Wicks
July 2008