Energy Infrastructure Plan for the North Sea

This project has many angles to it, and a host of contributing parties. One of our main jobs was to devise a way to orchestrate their contribution, working across many government departments to create a cohesive action plan. From the outset, our people demonstrated that we would act as an integrator across the many stakeholders and their diverse interests, by offering a comprehensive overview for all involved – including electricity and new hydrogen transmission operators. This approach was crucial, as all parties were committed to the energy transition, but could easily have lacked clarity on their specific roles and the urgency of various actions.

We made best use of hundreds of pages of existing knowledge, summarising the key elements of what had been planned and tested previously, and then translated what was essentially theoretical advice into actionable steps. Having focused on the leap from knowledge to implementation, we have taken a different path from that followed by previous studies. The project exemplifies the power of our MDM model, with the service lines involved spanning strategy consulting, financial advisory and legal services, plus we partnered with external technical and legal advisors for specialised knowledge in the energy transition.

In drafting the report’s recommendations, we tackled the complex calculations necessary to understand the ultimate contribution to the national energy supply – and therefore its impact on the energy economy.

Our team organised the work into four main streams, supported by process and stakeholder management teams. This helped everyone remain engaged with the project issues in hand and make efficient progress; two of the potential obstacles to this project were getting the critical information for the project’s success, and navigating the cultural and operational differences across stakeholders.

With this project moving beyond the theoretical to deliver a practical, actionable, timely set of recommendations, we set a welcome precedent for future projects. The collaboration process we’ve experienced offers valuable lessons, too, in integrating diverse perspectives into a single point of view.The project also very much aligns with Deloitte’s purpose, by bringing the best of our business together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy. The report methodology also sets a benchmark for future studies, highlighting the importance of adaptable, informed planning in the face of the evolving energy landscape.