Energy summit a huge success

Date published: 15th January 2025

North Norfolk District Council is pleased to announce that a productive summit to discuss the future of Bacton Gas terminal was successfully held at our offices here in Cromer.

The summit featured speakers and delegates from key stakeholders in the industry who shared ideas and discussed the options of transitioning the site, which currently produces up to a third of the UK’s gas supply, to a site which produces alternative energy or carbon capture.

Hear what Steve Blatch, Chief Executive of North Norfolk District Council, thought here:

Mark Steele, Chief Operating Officer for National Gas said:

“The UK has really clear energy ambitions to reach Net Zero, I think Bacton has played a pivotal role in the provision of energy into the UK for the last 50 years and its really important that we, as industry partners work with Government, to ensure that we secure the energy future for the UK and beyond.

Bacton has been here for over 50 years, providing into the UK and up to a third of the nation’s gas supply, so we see that it has a really essential role today and in the future. As we go forward we would like to repurpose that infrastructure to a Net Zero future, for example hydrogen and carbon capture for many years into the future. 

Cllr. Pauline Porter, ward member for Bacton said:

“I think its incredibly exciting and I think we have to jump on the opportunity to not just build up Bacton, but North Norfolk as a whole. With devolution coming, it’s possible that we ‘drop-off-the-edge’ and get forgotten about, so I think there’s a lot of opportunity there.

I hope [Bacton Energy Hub] will bring jobs and opportunities for people, currently anyone with those ambitions have to move away. Hopefully it will bring a lot of benefits to the area.”

Steffan Aquarone, MP for North Norfolk, said:

“As stakeholders in Bacton, we need to work collaboratively to develop, promote and realise the economic, environmental and social opportunities that exist at Bacton. In particular, for our local communities but also the wider county, even Suffolk and beyond.

As the MP for North Norfolk, I’m committed to raising the profile of the opportunities that exist here I guarantee that I will make them known to Government after today.”

The summit identified some clear actions for joint working in the future around future electricity and water availability to support the decarbonisation of existing and future operations at the site and plans will be developed to address these issues moving forward through partnership working and in discussions with Government so the potential of the Bacton Energy Hub site can be realised supporting UK energy transition.