UK approves development of Jackdaw gasfield in North Sea

The United Kingdom’s government has approved a natural gas project off the coast of Scotland, as the Labour government seeks to balance its climate goals with energy security concerns. Energy Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said on Wednesday that the Jackdaw gasfield would begin supplying energy to UK homes by the end of the month and would help to boost the country’s energy security. The government said the North Sea project would increase UK gas production by about 6 percent at its peak.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the decision will “protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm”, but stressed it would not hinder the government’s targets on renewable energy. The government also announced a New Energy Wealth Fund, which will invest in renewable and low-carbon energy projects as part of the green transition. The fund has been established with an initial 2 billion pounds ($2.7bn), with plans to raise additional funds through tax revenues from North Sea oil and gas.

The announcement has drawn criticism from left-wing politicians and environmental groups. Zack Polanski, the leader of the opposition Green Party, described the decision as “climate vandalism”. “Surreal to hear [the] energy secretary try and say this is a ‘pragmatic decision’,” Polanski wrote in a post on X.

Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh told UK radio station LBC that the development of Jackdaw would not bring down household energy bills. “I think it’s really important that we’re honest about this,” Fahnbulleh said. “That was not a consideration in the decision because it won’t mean cheaper bills. This was about energy security.”