Energy

The UK’s energy and utilities sector comprises the oil, gas and petroleum, and also nuclear power, coal, renewable energies, waste management and water industries. The UK’s oil and gas industry has been self-sufficient since 1980. It is expected to remain self-sufficient in oil until approximately 2016, and in gas until well into this century. However, the UK’s oil reserves are declining.

The petroleum industry consists of more than 200 companies refining, distributing and marketing petroleum, including large multinational oil companies, supermarkets, retailers and rural filling stations.

The nuclear industry employs over 50,000 people in the UK. Nuclear power provides about 22% of the UK’s electricity. Approximately 15,000 well-trained, highly skilled people operate and decommission nuclear power stations in the UK. The industry needs 9,000 graduates over the next decade to maintain existing operations. There will be a further need for scientists and engineers due to the approval for a new generation of nuclear power stations.

The UK’s coal industry employs around 5,600 people, the majority of whom work in England. Nearly 80% of all coal is burnt for electricity production, and 34% of all electricity generated in the UK comes from coal. About 5,500 people in the UK work in this new industry, with employment steadily increasing (London Energy Partnership).

The UK waste management industry employs around 141,000 people, dealing with approximately 100 million tonnes of waste generated annually from households, industry and commerce.

The water industry in the UK collects, treats and supplies over 16 billion litres of high quality water to domestic and commercial customers, then collects and treats over 10 billion litres of wastewaters.

Approximately 160,000 people work in water and associated fields. Currently there is a shortage of skilled workers such as modellers, planners, environmentalists, ecologists and operational engineers.