The British energy revolution

At the end of the 19th century, coal power lit up London’s streetlights. Since then, greenhouse gas emissions from coal, oil and gas have become the biggest challenge of our time. Emissions must be cut drastically.

Holborn, London: This is where it all began 140 years ago. In the area between Soho and the City of London, slums were expanding fast at the end of the 19th century. But Holborn was also where modern industrial history was to be written. Inventor Thomas Edison managed for the first time to create electricity from coal.

From the power plant Holborn Viaduct, also called the Edison Electric Light Station, it became possible to supply the city's streetlights with electricity. With the new power, the industrial revolution entered an entirely new phase. Britain – already a leading industrial nation – also became a leader in coal power development.

This was the beginning of a story about economic growth and prosperity. But it was also the beginning of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2023, work is in progress to find solutions to reduce emissions. (Story continues below)

Today, coal consumption in Great Britain is significantly reduced. The decline started with increased use of oil and gas – and later, the intake of new energy sources and increased CO₂ taxes. At the moment, a new energy revolution is unfolding behind the scenes. The nation aims to stay a powerful industrial nation, with net zero emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050.

The job is demanding. And as a significant energy supplier to the UK, Equinor is heavily involved in the journey towards 2050.

From his office close to Paddington Station in central London, Alex Grant keeps a complete overview of Equinor’s activities in the UK. Grant is the country manager for Equinor. He believes cutting emissions in line with the ambitions will be difficult. However, he still believes it is vital.

“The alternative is worse and more expensive. I think society will accept the cost,” he says.

Oil and gas take over

Aberdeen, Scotland: In the heart of Europe's oil capital, activity is high. Since the first oil discovery in the British sector in the mid-60s, the city has been the natural hub for further developing Britain's and Europe's energy history.

Since Equinor was established more than 50 years ago, the ties to Aberdeen – and Great Britain in general – have been significant. The UK was one of Equinor's first and most important customers and partners.

“We grew as a company while working with some of the UK's industrial champions. We now have our own operation in the UK, where we supply around 30% of the country's oil and gas,” Grant says.

Today, Equinor operates its British oil and gas resources from Aberdeen. Mariner, the oil project discovered at the beginning of the 1980s, is one of the fields. Equinor is also developing its next major offshore project from here: Rosebank.

Rosebank can trigger investments of about GBP 8.1 billion. The oil and gas field is expected to generate about 1,600 jobs in the development phase. In the UK alone, the peak employment of direct, indirect and induced jobs will amount to nearly 1,200.

On top of that, by designing Rosebank as a low-emission installation powered with renewable energy, Equinor believes the field can be developed as a part of the UK Government North Sea Transition deal. This way, Rosebank can bring much-needed energy security and investment to the UK while supporting the UK's net zero targets simultaneously.

But at the same time, something is on the move in Aberdeen. Europe's oil capital is transitioning into Europe's energy capital.

The wind turbines outside the city symbolise that the new industry is on its way. While still relying on oil and gas, the UK and the energy industry are moving from fossil energy to renewable energy and green technology.

Offshore wind to British homes

Port of Tyne: Something is about to happen in the small town of Port of Tyne. Historically, this was an important town for Britain's coal exports. Now the area has an entirely new role in the energy transition. The world's largest offshore wind farm will be operated from here. Equinor and partners are developing Dogger Bank, which will provide electricity to the equivalent of more than five million households.

Felicity Wann, an operations manager for Dogger Bank, Port of Tyne, has a remarkable history. Her family is from the area, and her grandfather worked in the coal industry back in the day. Today, she is a part of shaping the renewable future from the exact same area.

Moving a few hours south to Norfolk, future energy solutions have already begun to appear on the horizon. Together with partners, Equinor has developed two offshore wind farms off the coast of Norfolk. Around 750,000 British households are supplied with renewable power from here. And this is just the beginning.

"Equinor will increasingly deliver more offshore wind, more hydrogen, more carbon capture and storage, power generation and battery storage – more or less the full range of a broad, decarbonised energy – to help the UK on its journey towards net zero emissions," says Alex Grant.

Peterhead: About 40 minutes' drive from Aberdeen is the sleepy fishing town of Peterhead. But the area holds more than fishermen. Just outside the coast, we find something of a revolution.

This is Hywind Scotland. The world's first floating offshore wind farm.

As most of the world's offshore areas are too deep to place wind turbines on the seabed, the turbines must be able to float. At the same time, the cost of floating offshore wind must come down significantly to be profitable. Then, it'll be possible to extract the much-needed power from offshore wind. But someone has to take the first steps.