The energy industry has always been exciting and challenging and one which is constantly evolving. The future energy landscape will be driven by leveraging technology innovations and digitalization to continually reduce the environmental impact of oil and gas for years to come, as we move to cleaner solutions and more reliance on renewable sources.

NES Fircroft, a global staffing firm that is dedicated to providing the skilled engineers and technical workforce needed to deliver the energy and scientific solutions of the future, recently released their inaugural Energy Transition Outlook Report. Over 6,000 respondents participated in the survey which provides insights into the current temperature of transformative energy industry. Below are industry trends and insights from the top energy producers in the world.

United States

The U.S. renewable energy market is growing rapidly, with the country already operating the world’s second biggest wind power market and solar energy driving the renewables agenda with ambitious projects like the Gemini Solar Project.

Factors such as supportive government policies and the declining costs of renewable technologies are ensuring the renewable energy market is expanding rapidly across the continent.

Candidates with full project life-cycle experience (from greenfield through construction to operations) are particularly in demand on wind projects and we are also seeing high demand for energy storage expertise across multiple disciplines as well as EV infrastructure engineers. As these markets emerge, application, systems and software engineers will all be required and there will be huge opportunity for smart grid engineers. Digitalization expertise will be crucial to help connect it all together and create an efficient and reliable solution.

Pre-pandemic, the sector would turn to expatriate workers to increase the availability of talent, however we have seen this evolve throughout 2020 due to travel restrictions with domestic candidates from other sectors being more readily engaged, working remotely, with travel or full relocation.

This is a trend that is set to continue post pandemic, the sector turning to skilled domestic workers and professionals from conventional energy sectors to meet growing demand.

Canada

Despite considerable challenges posed by the global pandemic, Canada increased both wind and solar capacity in 2020, with significant growth in energy storage, and a positive forecast for 2021. 17% of Canada’s energy comes from renewables and that number is set to grow over the coming years. Commitment from the Canadian government, consumer demand and an increase in investment of at least 46% will ensure that number increases, meaning new projects and job opportunities. The Clean Energy sector in Canada is set to create at least 110,000 jobs over the next decade.

Europe

Data released by two think tanks on January 25 showed that in 2020 electricity generated by renewables in the EU (38%) for the first time overtook electricity generated by fossil fuels (34%).

The EU’s ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 will continue to accelerate the growth of the Renewable Energy sector in all member states.

Both the EU and the UK governments have made huge commitments to the green agenda in recent years with the EU pledging to invest 430 billion USD in green hydrogen by 2030 to support the goals outlined in its Green Deal, and the UK committing 12bn GBP investment into net zero projects. This will ensure a buoyant job market and we are seeing particular high demand for chemical engineers for carbon capture projects with exciting decarbonization projects underway across the UK, Netherlands and Belgium.

The net zero Humber project is just one example where steel manufacturing, power generation, chemical manufacturers, engineering firms and infrastructure providers are coming together to decarbonize the largest industrial region in the UK.

This initiative will encompass a suite of new technologies, development of infrastructure to facilitate both blue and green hydrogen production as well as carbon capture for storage and conversion. The project cluster aims to become net zero by 2040 and will create 20,000 new jobs.

The wind power market also looks strong across the continent with the Netherlands installing the most offshore wind power in 2020 and the UK looking to lead the way in this area with the Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4 projects creating the opportunity for at least 7 GW of new offshore wind projects in the waters around England and Wales by the end of the decade.

The outlook for solar power looks positive with installations increasing by 11% in 2020. Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Poland have all committed to significantly increasing their installation capacity to ensure they meet their renewable energy targets. This means engineers with a background in mechanical engineering are in demand to design and build the solar energy systems of the future.

Norway

Over 95% of all electricity production in Norway comes from renewable sources, with hydropower, wind and thermal energy contributing to the Norwegian energy economy.

This means Norway is a country rapidly transitioning away from fossil fuels, creating a huge amount of renewable energy opportunities for candidates and clients looking to move into this space.

Hydropower has always dominated the electricity market in Norway, with over 1,100 hydroelectric generating stations making Norway the largest hydropower nation in Europe and meaning it can support around 60% of its energy needs through hydropower production. However, Norwegian companies are also pioneering technologies in other areas, including carbon capture, solar power, floating offshore wind and energy storage.

Offshore wind is becoming even more attractive as efficiency increases and costs come down. This is particularly true for floating offshore wind, as floating foundations allow access to deep waters, where an estimated 80% of the potential is found.

Offshore wind is an industry built on the shoulders of the Oil & Gas industry, using many of the same technologies and skills, therefore we are seeing a lot of skills transition in this area. Clients are seizing the opportunity to diversify their traditional portfolios to meet the demand for more sustainable solutions.

Large power transmission and wind projects are under development, which means we are seeing demand for electrical and electrification roles as well as engineers for power systems, cables and energy storage projects.

The Norwegian market is buoyant and wages remain strong as the country aims to achieve a reduction of at least 50% of its GHG emissions by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2050.

Middle East

Rapid population growth coupled with ambitious government targets across the region for industrial and economic expansion mean the market will be buoyant for years to come.

The clean energy market in the Middle East has largely been focused on solar, with onshore wind a developing energy source and we expect this activity to grow rapidly over the next 5 years, particularly in the UAE where major projects such as the Mohammed Bin Rashid solar park are already well established.

Forthcoming onshore wind projects in Oman and solar projects in Saudi Arabia will also provide exciting opportunities for engineers in the future. While we have largely seen design and engineering work performed overseas to date, project-based positions are now coming online as we enter the commissioning phase in many projects.

There is a noticeable local demand for research and business development skills as large organizations have set up in the region.

Companies are looking to recruit local teams and expertise to meet strict nationalization targets, however there are still opportunities for experienced expatriate workers, particularly in construction and commissioning. CSP (concentrated solar power) experience is particularly in demand as the region has some of the world’s biggest existing and upcoming CSP plants.

There’s also excitement with construction of the first hydropower project in region, the Hatta Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant in Dubai. The HPP is a major component to achieve the targets of Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050. It’s expected that green hydrogen will be the next hot topic in region and to present some fantastic opportunities for engineers and technical workers of all skillsets.

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