UK government approves natural gas project off Scotland despite environmental concerns

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. government approved a natural gas project off the coast of Scotland over the objections of environmental groups on Wednesday, saying it would improve energy security as the country transitions to renewable sources of energy.

Gas from the Jackdaw field east of Aberdeen, which was stalled by a court ruling in 2024, is expected to start flowing into Britain’s gas distribution network later this year, reducing reliance on foreign energy threatened by conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine.

The government has yet to rule on the Rosebank project west of the Shetland Islands, which is expected to produce mainly crude oil.

Jackdaw and Rosebank have been the subject of intense debate in Britain, with environmental activists and some members of the ruling Labour Party arguing that the projects are at odds with efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels and combat climate change. Supporters say Britain will continue to need oil and gas to power industry and heat homes during the transition, and it is better to use local sources than rely on foreign supplies.

While Jackdaw was approved by a previous Conservative-led government in 2022, that decision was stalled by legal challenges. The Court of Session in Edinburgh last year ruled that both Jackdaw and Rosebank had been unlawfully approved because the government had failed to consider the carbon emissions generated by burning gas from the projects when it assessed their environmental impact.

After further review, Energy Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh approved the project on Wednesday.

“This decision will support the country’s energy security with homegrown gas this winter and help minimize the U.K.’s use of imported higher emission fuels as we continue our transition to renewables and nuclear,” Fahnbulleh said in a statement.

The government said Jackdaw would make a “small but meaningful” contribution to the nation’s energy security, accounting for about 5% of U.K. gas production during the 11-year life of the project. But it acknowledged that the project wouldn’t eliminate Britain’s need for imported gas or reduce prices, which are set by international markets.

Fahnbulleh said the government remains committed to eliminating net carbon emissions by 2050 and ending the approval of new oil and gas licenses.

Both Jackdaw and Rosebank are being developed by Adura, a joint venture of U.K.-based energy giant Shell and Norway’s Equinox.

Neil McCulloch, Adura’s chief executive, said the decision on Jackdaw was a matter of urgency because the project was ready to come on line this winter. Government officials have more time to rule on Rosebank because it won’t be ready to begin production until next year.

“We anticipate that the decision will be made positively, and we continue with development of the field,” he told the BBC.