May had a bit of everything – chart-topping comebacks, football miracles, and some big announcements accords the UK energy sector. While Taylor Swift reclaimed her master recordings (because who says you can’t rewrite your own story?),Aberdeen FC rewrote theirs by toppling Celtic to win the Scottish Cup for the first time in 35 years. And in our energy sector, it was a tough month with Harbour announcing redundancies, cancelled wind projects, and growing pressure on the future of key policies.
On a positive, Westminster passed the Great British Energy Bill, aiming to streamline infrastructure planning and accelerate the clean energy rollout. The UK also signed a Green Industrial Partnership with Norway, unlocking the potential to store up to 78billion tonnes of CO₂ beneath our seas, an opportunity that could boost jobs and innovation across the North Sea.
The tone was set by The All-Energy 2025 conference in Glasgow, with electrification and decarbonisation taking centre stage. D2Zero companies Hydrasun and Fuel Cell Systems exhibited, showcasing their HyQube hydrogen refuelling station. D2Zero’s electrification expert, Solon Mardapittas, also presented to a packed show floor on the transformative power of electrification for any organisation.
Keeping the Lights on and the Talent In
May also saw the launch of the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce’s 41st Energy Transition Survey, developed with support from D2Zero. It delivered a reality check: the UK is losing the very skills and supply chain needed to deliver its net zero ambitions. A growing share of energy sector jobs, investment and innovation is shifting abroad, raising serious questions about how we retain talent and build resilience at home.
These concerns were echoed in the Climate Change Committee’s first tailored advice to the Scottish Government on carbon budgeting, which underscored the need for urgent, focused action. At the heart of their recommendations was electrification as a central pillar of Scotland’s low-carbon transition. With global electricity demand set to rise by 3.4% annually through 2026 (IEA), the pressure is on to ensure we are not just keeping pace, but leading the charge.
But amidst this backdrop, May was a milestone month for D2Zero companies. Recent multi-million dollar acquisitions for Score of BLJ In-Situ Solutions in Australia and Drake Controls in the United States have expanded global reach and capability.
Score highlighted their diverse market presence securing an $89 million contract for the delivery of valve solutions to support the construction of River-Class Destroyers for the Royal Canadian Navy. The project delivery is being led by Score’s Canadian team based in Paradise, Newfoundland.
And in a hat trick of May announcements for Score, they also celebrated a double win at the Paradise Municipal Awards in Canada. The Americas team won the Innovation and Resiliency Award and took second place for the Business Excellence Award.
It’s been a big month for the team at nexos. After securing a major HVAC framework across critical energy networks both onshore and offshore for a UK leading energy transmission business., they’ve also announced their expansion into the onshore EPC energy market, backed by a 300-strong services division and new offices in Hull.
And showing how skills and expertise are market agnostic, Kelton contributed to the groundbreaking HyNTS 100% Hydrogen Metering research project with National Gas Innovation and DNV.
The project demonstrates the feasibility of transmission scale hydrogen metering, supporting the decarbonisation of our National Transmission.
At D2Zero, we know that a sustainable future starts with people. That’s why we champion Diversity & Inclusion and invest in next-gen talent; to drive innovation, unlock potential, and power the energy transition. In May we celebrated Hydrasun’s CNC Machinist, Katie Wallace, who was named Scottish Engineering Modern Apprentice of the Year for her technical excellence and inspiring journey.
On Air
This month I enjoyed listening to a couple of webinars from our companies, which provided some great insights into industry trends and best practices to drive success for our clients and strengthen their position in the market.
The first was the HEA Hydrogen Bytes with Fuel Cell Systems, which covered how hydrogen refuelling works, the benefits and implications for vehicles refuelling, and the refuelling standards and protocols.
The second which is also worth a listen is with Powerstar experts discussing cutting costs, boosting efficiency and the power of voltage optimisation in manufacturing.
A highlight for me was joining fellow panellists Paul Addison, GB Energy, and Valentina Kretzschmar, Wood Mackenzie, on the latest Energy Voice Live discussion in Edinburgh which examined the question of “where is the green investment?” and got into the real details of what’s driving momentum, where ambition needs to meet action, and how investment is shaping the energy transition right now.
I’m a firm believer that the transition isn’t a simple clean vs. dirty debate, it’s about smart investment in the future. And honestly, the wider conversation is full of cliches. We need less talk, more action, funding projects that drive real change and making decisions that actually move us forward.
We’re halfway through the year, with plenty of exciting opportunities still ahead. In a month where headlines questioned the UK’s ability to maintain homegrown energy, retain skills and its general readiness to seize the clean energy opportunity, our teams’ achievements stand as a testament to what’s possible, and what’s still to come.
