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Editorial comment

Last month, I briefly discussed the latest developments in UK politics, and the new Conservative government’s plans for the energy sector. After the sacking of Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng – just 38 days into the job – and a series of U-turns on tax cuts to try and reassure jittery markets, not much was left of Prime Minister Liz Truss’ economic plans. Indeed, ‘Trussonomics’ was widely pronounced dead, and Mrs Truss resigned from her role on 20 October – becoming the shortest-serving UK Prime Minister in history.


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At the time of writing, a new leadership contest is underway, and we now await to see if the UK’s economy – and any of the previous government’s energy policies – can be resuscitated.

Meanwhile, across the English Channel, our neighbours in France are currently facing a political and social crisis of their own.

In recent weeks, refinery workers at TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil have been on strike, seeking pay rises amid the cost of living crisis. The strikes have shut the majority of France’s refineries, and led to fuel shortages across the country. Although strikes have now ended at ExxonMobil’s sites – following a pay deal between management and the unions that represent workers – staff at TotalEnergies’ downstream facilities are continuing their industrial action (or at least they were, at the time of writing). The CGT Union, which represents workers at the energy giant’s refineries, fuel depots, biofuels, and petrochemical plants, is demanding a 10% pay rise for its staff – 7% to cover inflation and 3% for ‘wealth-sharing’ in light of high profits.

Amid anger at the French government’s decision to order certain strikers back to work, regional train workers and bus drivers joined the strike for higher wages on 18 October. Some school staff, as well as nuclear energy workers, also took industrial action.

There are fears that the widening social unrest could lead to a ‘winter of discontent’ across Europe, as inflation hits its highest levels in decades. Aside from the strikes in France, there have been large protests at energy prices in Prague (Czech Republic), airline workers have gone on strike in Germany and Sweden to demand higher pay, and the UK has seen its largest railway strikes in decades.

The European downstream sector is facing challenges of its own. In the short-term, there is much uncertainty and a number of disruptors (including the strikes in France and planned maintenance work that is set to reduce the continent’s crude refining capacity). And in the long-term, refiners are transforming their operations in readiness for the clean energy future. In this issue of Hydrocarbon Engineering, European Petroleum Consultants (EPC) take a detailed look at the latest developments on the continent, and discuss the implications of the energy transition on downstream operations (starting on p. 8). This issue also includes features on a range of topics including catalyst technology, mass transfer equipment, turbomachinery, valve technology, and safety and the environment.


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