Offshore Europe exhibition looks to renewable future

• Broadcast Date:

  Tuesday, September 8, 2009 on stv

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• Offshore Europe exhibition looks to renewable future

  Europe's largest oil show is underway in Aberdeen with more than 40,000 visitors expected to flock to Offshore Europe over the four day event.
  
  The UK energy minister Lord Hunt and First Minister Alex Salmond spoke at the event on Tuesday morning.
  
  The industry showpiece is expected to bring up to ��30million into the local economy.
  
  Despite the recession organisers say the event is set to be the largest ever.
  
  First minister Alex Salmond spoke at a business breakfast that kicked off the event before touring the exhibition.
  
  His message was very much one of optimism and the potential for renewable energy in Scotland - transforming the north-east from an oil capital to a global energy hub.
  
  Mr Salmond said: ���The oil prices are up, the expectations are up, we���re seeing some very positive job announcements, the availability of finance is beginning to free up for a lot of the independent companies.
  
  ���Also there���s a dawning realisation that far from being in competition with renewables, we���ve got to see Aberdeen and Scotland as a global energy hub, where the oil and gas industry for the next 40 years will be in conjunction with this vast emerging market from offshore Scotland.���
  
  Delegates at the business breakfast heard pleas from industry leaders for a more favourable tax regime.
  
  It was argued that much of the oil still to be recovered is in older fields with smaller reserves.
  
  The industry hopes that by using such a high profile platform as Offshore Europe their message will get through to the government.
  
  Energy minister Lord Hunt defended the government's record.
  
  He said: ���We���re doing a lot to work with industry to ensure we exploit the fantastic resource that is in the North Sea. We reckon there���s probably about 20billion barrels to be got out.
  
  ���We have a good licensing regime, it���s flexible. We work in partnership with industry and in the budget this year we announced further tax concessions to encourage industry to tackle fields that are rather hard to exploit.���
  

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  scotland, CCTV, fish, Denmark, fishing, North Sea, News

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