Criteria for Transitional Energy Certificates
Published 21 April 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transitional-energy-certificates/criteria-for-transitional-energy-certificates
As part of our North Sea Future Plan, the government committed to introducing Transitional Energy Certificates (TECs) to support the management of existing fields for their lifetime.
We set out that a Transitional Energy Certificate could be granted where any eventual development on that site:
- will not undertake any exploration
- is for a block of acreage which is part of, or adjacent to, an existing field (linked by a tieback), and
- the activity is necessary for a managed, prosperous and orderly transition
We are introducing TECs as a practical step so industry can have certainty to invest in oil and gas production in already-explored areas near existing licensed fields, supporting a managed transition in the North Sea.
We are engaging with industry on the core criteria, which is currently:
- No new exploration: In the North Sea Future Plan we committed to ban new licences to explore for new oil and gas. Our intention is for TECs to fulfil this criteria by only being granted for areas where petroleum has already been found.
- Close proximity: Our intention is to allow TECs to include acreage that is either adjacent or in close proximity to an existing field.
- Tieback infrastructure: Tiebacks connect offshore oil and gas fields to existing infrastructure via pipelines and other infrastructure.
- Supporting the management of existing fields: We are introducing TECs to support the transition in the North Sea by supporting the management of existing fields for their lifespan. Our intention is for TECs to be granted where they can demonstrate that they support the management of existing fields.
Following the conclusion of the legislative process to introduce TECs, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) will set out further guidance explaining how each criteria should be considered during any application for a TEC.