- Tech platform user numbers went up more than two-thirds in half year
- NSTA provides further £30,000 to extend free access for UK suppliers, operators and end-users
- Tools and solutions will support energy security, emissions reduction and net zero projects
A pilot scheme providing free access to an online platform that raises awareness of emerging and field-proven technologies and encourages their use has been extended in response to popular demand.
The number of UK users on the UK Energy Technology Platform (UKETP) went up by 67% to 892 after the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) provided £27,500 to let suppliers and operators visit it free during the six months to May 2023.
UK suppliers added 69 more live technologies to the site during this period, taking the UK total to 206 and global total to more than 660.
Following this initial success, the NSTA has agreed to make a further £30,000 available to allow users to enjoy continued free access for six months, to 15 November 2023.
The online platform is used by suppliers to promote innovative, field-ready technologies designed to support North Sea operations that will help bolster the UK’s energy security, reduce emissions and accelerate the transition to net zero.
Potential customers can get detailed information about tools ranging from low-erosion drill bits to valves for carbon dioxide injection and see which companies have used them previously, giving them added confidence that the solutions will meet their needs.
The pilot’s extension should result in a further boost to user registrations and the number of technologies being showcased globally on the platform, and ultimately adopted.
UKETP complements the NSTA’s Energy Pathfinder portal, which provides greater visibility of upcoming North Sea projects and contracting opportunities, giving the UK’s world-class supply chain more confidence to invest in new skills and technologies. Importantly, Pathfinder also lists the contact details of the relevant person at the company awarding the work.
From left to right, Colin Black, Sylvia Buchan, NSTA Supply Chain Manager, and Bill Cattanach at a recent exhibition in Aberdeen.
Bill Cattanach, NSTA Head of Supply Chain, said: “We are really pleased to be continuing our partnership with UKETP, which is providing another valuable outlet for collaboration between suppliers and operators, helping the UK’s expert supply chain evolve into a global leader in energy transition projects, including carbon capture and storage.”
Carlo Procaccini, NSTA Chief Technical Officer, said: “The UKETP has proven to be a valuable tool for accelerating the uptake of relevant technology. Thanks to the platform, UK operators have hundreds of technologies at their fingertips to optimise economic recovery whilst reducing emissions during our energy transition journey to net zero.”
UKETP is a collaborative initiative between technology deployment service company Carjon-NRG Limited and business-to-business technology platform TechnologyCatalogue.com.
Vincent van Beusekom, Co-founder of TechnologyCatalogue.com, said: “Since the start of the pilot, we have seen a steep increase in use of the UKETP among UK suppliers and operators. The platform is now seeing users from essentially all UK operators finding and selecting technologies to improve performance, driven by data insights.”
Colin Black, managing director of Carjon-NRG and UKETP Partner at TechnologyCatalogue.com, said: “The UKETP was developed to address a lack of visibility of emerging and field proven technologies identified by the Efficiency Task Force, which ran from 2015-2020 and was led by Offshore Energies UK. Significant improvements can be realised by deploying technologies which have been successfully used by others, and that is exactly what the platform enables.”
Notes to editors:
Photograph shows, from left to right, Colin Black, Sylvia Buchan, NSTA Supply Chain Manager, and Bill Cattanach at a recent exhibition in Aberdeen.
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