“The future is bright for the energy industry”

Having worked for bp for 23 years in a range of positions, Caroline White is currently Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) & Consents Manager for the company’s UK Offshore Wind business.

Growing up in County Down, I was never too far from the coast spending my childhood holidays in and by the sea. This was one of the main reasons why I went on to study Oceanography at University. My studies saw me move around the UK from Wales, gaining a BSc (Hons) in Geological Oceanography from the University of Wales, to Edinburgh where I studied for a Masters in Marine Resource Development & Protection from Heriot Watt University.

I have always had a passion for our natural world as well as how we develop and manage our natural resources sustainably. The modules of my MSc focused on the marine environment, which led me to take on a role in the water industry moving to Azerbaijan to work on a World Bank funded project to rehabilitate the Baku water supply. While there, I was asked to work on the environmental baseline surveys for the Caspian Sea to support the ESIA for the Azerbaijan International Operating Company oil and gas developments. As a project, this was hugely exciting to be involved in highlighting biodiversity in the country. One aspect that was important for me to showcase was how these developments could take place while simultaneously protecting the environment.

While my career kicked off in environmental consultancy in Azerbaijan, I opted for the cooler climate of Aberdeen, joining bp as an environmental advisor and then moving into HSE. Across the years, I have been involved in many of bp’s major projects through all phases from development to execution and even decommissioning. Moving into offshore wind has allowed me to apply much of my previous experience while learning something new every day. There are many synergies with oil and gas projects around HSE management of offshore transport and installation, construction and associated vessel management and contractor safety management -but the main differences are the pace of projects during the development phase and the complexity of the consenting processes. There is significant interface and engagement across the industry, and with the government, to support the UK to meet its net zero targets.

Every project I have been involved in at bp has been different, with its own challenges, but all have been hugely exciting to be part of. These projects have been a great source of pride, due to the approach taken for inherently robust, safe and environmental senstive design and  delivery. One of these projects was the development of the Clair Ridge field to the west of Shetland. The achievements regarding HSE in design, and how the project was ultimately safely executed in such a challenging environment, is a testament to all those involved. It was also encouraging to listen to the feedback from the workforce on the culture of care we all built and sustained.

The UK’s oil and gas industry has always played a major role in technological innovation in the energy industry. The industry’s expertise is already being harnessed by the offshore renewable energy sector across a range of operations while also applying their knowledge to a new set of challenges. One thing I am really passionate about is embedding HSE in design and developing strong safety leadership to support safe execution. This focus has helped improve the HSE performance of our projects and I am excited about building on this approach with my offshore wind projects. 

I am optimistic about the energy industry’s future as I have witnessed first-hand the passion and dedication of people driving the industry’s offshore wind projects to navigate through any challenge. At bp, we are working with XAcademy to support skills development for individuals looking to transition into renewable energy and there is great interest which is positive for our future. It’s a hugely exciting time to be in the industry! 

My advice to someone looking to join the industry is to go for it. There are endless opportunities. Be prepared to work hard and don’t be afraid to take on challenges or  put forward innovative ideas. The future is bright!