Senior leaders from government and industry will set the tone for SPE Offshore Europe 2025, opening the event with a 90-minute plenary session at P&J Live, Aberdeen, from 2 – 5 September 2025 under the theme ‘Unlocking Europe’s Potential in Offshore Energy’.
Louise Kingham, Senior VP Europe and Head of Country at bp, will deliver an opening address together with Norway’s Minister for Climate and the Environment, Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, and a senior UK government representative.
David Whitehouse, OE25 Conference Chair and Chief Executive of Offshore Energies UK, will formally welcome attendees. He will be joined by the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Councillor David Cameron, and 2025 SPE President, Olivier Houzé, Co-Founder and Managing Director, KAPPA Engineering.
The plenary will conclude with a lively panel debate moderated by Louise Stewart, Director of External Relations and Commercial Affairs at Offshore Energies UK. The panel will feature industry leaders Juergen Maier, Chair, GB Energy; John Evans, CEO, Subsea 7; Luciano Vasques, CEO, Ithaca Energy, and Zoe Barnes, Partner at Everoze, Chair of the UK Floating Wind Taskforce, and Non-Executive Director, Offshore Wind Growth Partnership.
“This year’s SPE Offshore Europe comes at a critical time for the sector and its workforce,” said David Whitehouse, OE25 Conference Chair. “In the coming months, the UK government will make choices that will shape the future of the North Sea. That is about the role our domestic oil and gas will play and how we build out our renewable energy and unlock opportunities in carbon capture and storage and hydrogen. The implications of those choices will impact the economic future of the country and be felt by communities across the UK.
“The UK is importing over 40% of the country’s energy needs, in a volatile world, relying on others for our energy is not a position of strength. The choice is not renewable energy vs oil and gas, on our journey to net zero we need both. The choice is between supporting our domestic energy production, our skilled jobs, value in our economy over imported energy that comes without those benefits and at a higher carbon footprint. At SPE Offshore Europe we will convene industry leaders, policy makers, innovators and employees to engage in honest, solutions-focused dialogue ensuring the sector can deliver affordable, secure, and lower carbon energy in a rapidly changing landscape.”
The conference programme will feature 12 strategic panel sessions, 18 technical sessions and, for the first time, fireside chats and e-poster sessions. Topics will include energy security, safety, global perspectives, the future energy mix, decarbonisation, hydrogen, CCS, investment, supply chain, and the future of oil & gas.
“As a conference committee, we’ve made it a priority to ensure diverse representation across every panel and to create space for meaningful dialogue between young professionals and seasoned industry leaders,” added Whitehouse.
The OE25 exhibition will span three halls and feature an Energy Transition Theatre, Offshore Wind Hub and Theatre, North Sea Futures Theatre, Digitalisation Zone, Future Talent Hub, and First Time Exhibitor Zone.
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Energy Global's Summer 2025 issue
Dive into the latest renewable energy insights in the Summer issue of Energy Global, out now! This edition features a guest comment from Change Rebellion on the role real change management can play in the global energy sector before a regional report, which looks at energy trends and transformations across the Americas. Other key topics are also explored, including offshore support vessels, floating wind, weather analysis, and battery storage. Contributors include Ørsted, CRC Evans, Miros, Solcast, and more, so don’t miss out!