Luke Myer MP visiting the CATS Terminal on Teesside
Today (29 January 2026) a new national board has been launched to drive investment, protect skilled jobs and steer the long-term energy transition in the North Sea – with Teesside’s offshore industry, carbon capture expertise and gas infrastructure firmly in focus.
The new North Sea Future Board, chaired by the Labour Government’s Energy Minister Michael Shanks, brings together industry, trade unions and government to support the offshore workforce, strengthen supply chains and coordinate the shift as the North Sea basin evolves. The declining basin and the shift to cheap, clean power must not be allowed to mean crash closures putting people out of work.
Luke Myer MP has engaged with the Teesside offshore industry, including meeting with Offshore Energies UK and visiting Teesside’s Central Area Transmission System (CATS) terminal. The CATS site handles around a quarter of UK gas supply and is one of the country’s most critical energy assets. Luke welcomed the news.
Included alongside industry representatives on the Board are representatives from the carbon capture sector, including the Northern Endurance Partnership and the Carbon Capture Storage Association. Luke works closely with CCUS partners through his role chairing the APPG on CCUS, ensuring Teesside remains at the forefront of the industry which is bringing £4 billion of investment and thousands of jobs to the region.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:
“We are at a turning point in the North Sea’s success story and our actions now will determine the huge potential for it to become the clean energy powerhouse of Britain. This is a call to arms for all those involved to come together in building a lasting future that will secure generations of highly skilled jobs and investment, while managing existing oil and gas production for decades to come.”
David Whitehouse, Chief Executive of Offshore Energies UK, welcomed the Board as “a practical opportunity for government and industry to work together”, during an “important time for the UK’s national and industrial resilience”.