Plans for establishing a world-leading oil and gas technology centre in the north-east are on track, the board tasked with overseeing the £250million City Region Deal has heard.
The newly-formed Aberdeen City Region Deal joint committee met for the second time yesterday to be updated on progress since the deal was signed earlier this year.
The committee, made up of councillors and representatives from Opportunity North East (ONE) – a private sector body led by oil and gas tycoon Sir Ian Wood – were given updates on ambitious projects like the expansion of Aberdeen’s harbour and setting up an oil and gas technology centre.
A report showed plans were firmly underway to develop the centre, and that the company has been set up with £500,000 of development funding already secured.
The initial focus of the site will be to deliver practical solutions for challenges the industry faces, such as decommissioning and reducing the cost of drilling wells.
All members expressed their eagerness to move forward with the City Region Deal, with Sir Ian particularly grilling council officers on progress.
Aberdeenshire Council’s co-leader Martin Kitts-Hayes was also keen to see movement, and warned the projects must continue to push ahead.
He said: “We shouldn’t see this committee as some sort of bureaucratic big foot that is trying to hold up progress.”
Speaking after the meeting, Aberdeen City Council’s finance chief Willie Young echoed Mr Kitts-Hayes’ comments adding it was vital the committee wasn’t just a “talking shop”.
He said: “I think we have seen from the enthusiasm of the board that we are all keen to push ahead to making the city deal projects a reality.
“We have been extremely lucky having someone of the calibre of Sir Ian involved and I look forward to the next meeting.”
