Key facts
- EDF Energy CEO Simone Rossi stated new UK oil and gas projects are a 'no-brainer'.
- Rossi argued these projects pose 'no contradiction' to the net zero agenda.
- He called for approval of the Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea fields.
- Locally produced fossil fuels have lower emissions than imports due to reduced transport, according to Rossi.
- Rossi said tax receipts from new developments could fund household energy bill support.
Simone Rossi, the chief executive of EDF Energy, has stated that new oil and gas projects in the UK are a "no-brainer" and do not contradict the net zero agenda. He joins other renewable energy leaders in advocating for increased North Sea production as the government considers approving the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.
Rossi told the BBC that the UK's dependency on fossil fuels will take decades to overcome. "So while this is happening we should use the resources that we’ve got rather than importing them from afar," he said. He believes locally produced fossil fuels have lower emissions than imports because they require less transportation.
EDF Energy, owned by France's EDF, generates about a fifth of the UK's low-carbon electricity, with 8 gigawatts of capacity including nuclear power plants and renewable sources. The company is also building the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.
Rossi's comments align with a growing number of figures, including Greg Jackson of Octopus Energy and Jürgen Maier, former boss of GB Energy, who are also making the case for more North Sea production. Politicians such as former chancellor Rachel Reeves and defence secretary Wes Streeting have also spoken in favour of new developments. The Labour party's manifesto allows for new oil and gas streams from already licensed areas or adjacent fields that can utilize existing infrastructure.