Environmentalists horrified: London approves gas project in the North Sea

Last year, environmentalists sued to have the licenses for two energy projects in the North Sea revoked. The British government is now allowing drilling off the Scottish coast. The gas is expected to supply households as early as winter.

The British government has given the green light to controversial plans to drill in a gas field in the North Sea. British households will be supplied with gas from the Jackdaw gas field east of Aberdeen, Scotland, this winter, the Ministry of Energy announced. The future of the project, which had already been planned by the previous conservative government, had been discussed for months.

The project will secure hundreds of jobs and help "keep millions of households warm this winter," said Prime Minister Andy Burnham, according to the statement. At a time when many people are struggling, it is right to use existing energy reserves responsibly and optimally.

According to operator Adura, Jackdaw could account for around six percent of British North Sea gas production at its peak. In addition to the equally controversial Rosebank oil field off the Shetland Islands, the Jackdaw gas field is one of two projects to which the previous conservative government had already granted approval in 2022. However, the approvals were overturned by the Scottish courts following a lawsuit by environmental groups last year following a ruling by the UK Supreme Court.

What will happen next with the Rosebank oil field is still unclear. This will be decided separately and the decision will “take longer,” said Energy Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh, according to the PA news agency. After taking office in the summer, British Prime Minister Burnham repeatedly stated that he wanted to pursue a “pragmatic approach” to energy projects in the North Sea.

Climate activists and environmentalists sharply criticized the government's decision. Developing the Jackdaw field will not reduce high electricity bills, said Amanda Grimm from Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, according to PA. Any new gas production will “add fuel to the fire of climate collapse and trigger further catastrophes.”

Both Burnham and Fahnbulleh emphasize that the approval of the project is in line with Britain's climate goals. “We are sticking to our goal of switching to renewable energies and achieving climate neutrality by 2050,” said Burnham. But even on the “ambitious path to achieving climate goals,” oil and gas would still have to be part of the energy supply for decades.