WORLD EXCLUSIVE by Scottish Energy News
QUESTION: Knock, knock. Who’s there?
ANSWER: Everyone … on the following list of energy companies and foreign state-owned energy providers who knocked on door to see Brit-Govt Energy ministers in 2017.
The list clearly shows that nuclear energy took up a lot of time of the BEIS Ministers, and also illustrates the ease with which the nuclear industry is able to access government Ministers.
The reasons for such meetings – where not officially (albeit) briefly provided – can be seen the in light of subsequent major corporate and/or industry developments; such as the meeting with tidal power developer Atlantis Resources, which is building a 398-MW sea-bed electricity generating turbine array off Caithness.
But one salient issue – which is not wholly explained by BEIS – is the full reason why PetroChina met with two separate Energy ministers on two occasions, one of which was to ‘discuss UK operations’.
PetroChina is the listed arm of state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation.
The Peking-based China National Petroleum Corporation is one of the largest integrated energy groups in the world and was ranked the third in 2016 Fortune Global 500.
Equally intriguing, is the meeting which junior Energy Minister Jesse Norman, MP, had with the China National Petroleum Corporation ‘to discuss Grangemouth refinery’ on 17 May 2017.
The ‘Grangemouth refinery’ is frequently used as standard industry shorthand to refer to the Grangemouth petro-chemicals refinery at Grangemouth, which is owned and operated by INEOS.
BEIS declined to provide any further information on these meetings. INEOS did not responded to inquiries from Scottish Energy News.
Meanwhile, David Mundell, the British Government Minister for Scotland, has had not meetings with the Scottish energy sector in the past six months.
But he did find the time to meet the editors of Unionist newspapers (Daily Record and The Glasgow Herald) on two occasions with his special advisor Magnus Gardham (a former journalist).
In addition, Gardham also met with the Scottish Daily Mail and the BBC.
In contrast, the politically-appointed special advisers at the BEIS (Jacob Wilmer and Glen Hall) – which is a much larger department – did not hold any official meetings with media.
| BEIS Minister | Visitor/ lobbyist | Date | Agenda / reason for meeting |
| Richard Harrington
|
Smart Energy GB | 7 Sept | to discuss 2018 targets |
| PetroChina | 26 Sept | Not known | |
| Greg Clark | NuGeneration Toshiba
Engie |
10 July | Nuclear issues |
| Horizon Nuclear Power Ltd | 10 July | Nuclear issues | |
| Hitachi | 25 July | Nuclear issues | |
| Toshiba NuGeneration
Hitachi |
17 April
|
Nuclear issues | |
| EDF | 17 May
|
Hinkley nuclear power station | |
| Jesse Norman
|
Dong Energy | 17 April | To discuss offshore wind |
| Atlantis Resources | 17 April | To discuss tidal stream energy | |
| Parsons Brinckerhoff: Institute of Acoustics | 17 April | To discuss noise from wind turbines | |
| Hitachi | 17 April | To discuss nuclear issues | |
| China National Petroleum Corporation | 17 May | To discuss Grangemouth Refinery | |
| Margot James | Energy UK | 17 Feb | To discuss the work of Energy UK |
| Jesse Norman | Chevron Upstream | 17 Jan | To discuss oil and gas |
| NuGen | 17 Jan | To discuss nuclear energy | |
| Statoil | 17 Jan | To discuss energy | |
| Tidal Lagoon Power | 17 Jan | To discuss tidal energy | |
| Vattenfall | 17 Jan | To discuss offshore wind | |
| Toshiba | 17 Feb | To discuss new nuclear generation | |
| Maersk Oil | 17 Feb | To discuss oil and gas | |
| Scottish & Southern Energy | 17 Feb | To discuss smart meters, offshore wind, retail prices and security of supply | |
| Swedish Energy Ambassador, EDF Energy, E.ON | 17 Mar | To discuss district heating | |
| PetroChina International | 17 Mar | To discuss UK operations | |
18 Dec 2017
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