The government has approved production from the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea, saying the project will support the UK’s energy security and reduce reliance on imported fuels.
Jackdaw is located around 250km east of Aberdeen, close to the UK-Norway median line. It will be connected to the existing Shearwater hub by a 31km subsea pipeline, with production expected to begin by the end of October.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the field could increase domestic gas production by around 6% at peak output and supply gas for up to 11 years. It also estimated that the project would protect hundreds of jobs and add £2.9bn to the UK economy.
Government and industry welcome approval
Energy security secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said the decision would provide “homegrown gas this winter” and help minimise the use of imported higher-emission fuels while the UK transitions to renewable energy and nuclear power.
The field is owned by Adura, a joint venture between Equinor and Shell. Its gas will be sold on the open international market. Adura chief executive Neil McCulloch described the approval as an “important and positive step forward”, citing £2.1bn of investment and enough gas to heat the equivalent of around 1.4 million UK homes at peak production.
The North Sea Transition Authority said it had granted consent following “robust scrutiny”. Chief executive Stuart Payne said the project would provide domestically produced gas, generate tax revenues, safeguard supply-chain jobs and use existing infrastructure, with emissions intensity “well below the UK average”.
Offshore Energies UK chief executive David Whitehouse called the decision an important step and urged the government to support a wider pipeline of North Sea projects, which the organisation said could deliver £50bn of investment.
Opposition over climate impact
The approval was criticised by climate campaigners and researchers. Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the London School of Economics and Political Science’s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, said Jackdaw’s output would be too small to make a significant difference to energy bills or security.
Friends of the Earth energy campaigner Danny Gross described Jackdaw as a “bridge to nowhere”, arguing that it would slow the shift towards cleaner energy and green jobs. He also called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to oppose the Rosebank oilfield and a third Heathrow runway.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham welcomed the decision, saying the UK could not support net zero through a “jobless transition”. She said the additional time should be used to invest in industries including wind turbine manufacturing and green jet-fuel refining.
Alongside the Jackdaw decision, the government announced a proposed Energy Wealth Fund. DESNZ said the fund would use tax revenues from North Sea oil and gas to support renewable and low-carbon energy projects, beginning with an initial £2bn of funding.