Dismay for renewable energy fanatics, but common sense from the perspective that about 80% of total UK energy use is from fuel burning. Increasing the reliance on imports while ignoring available energy at home would be expensive and pointless.
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Six North Sea oil and gas fields are set to be given the green light this year, according to newspaper reports this morning.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has asked Kwasi Kwarteng, the Business Secretary, to fast-track the licenses amid Treasury fears over the economic impact of making the UK a net zero carbon emitter by 2050, says AGCC news.

The Telegraph reports that several Cabinet ministers believe the pace of net zero is too fast, and that the UK must continue exploring its domestic fossil fuel reserves to prevent it becoming over-reliant on foreign imports.

Drilling to begin

The six oil and gas areas, which have already been given a preliminary licence by ministers, are expected to be given approval by Britain’s oil and gas regulator to begin construction of rigs in the North Sea.

Drilling of oil and gas could begin in the Rosebank field, to the west of Shetland, and at the Jackdaw, Marigold, Brodick and Catcher sites in the central North Sea.

A sixth site, Tolmount East, had been intended to be approved by the Oil and Gas Authority last year but is now expected in 2022.

Despite calls for all domestic fossil fuel extraction to be halted, ministers have pledged to continue to support oil and gas production while renewable energy sources are developed.

The Chancellor told parliament: “There are £11 billion of projects lined up to go. I want to unlock that investment because that is good for this country, good for British jobs and good for our energy security.”

Full article here.

via Tallbloke’s Talkshop

February 8, 2022, by oldbrew

Six new UK oil and gas fields to be fired up as Sunak takes action