Comment on Lancashire fracking decision

Importing LNG could be a better alternative to a domestic shale gas industry

By Pippa Henderson

info@eciu.net

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Commenting on the news that Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has given the go-ahead for fracking in Lancashire, accepting an appeal against the County Council rejection of the plans by shale gas company Cuadrilla, Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said that the economic viability of a domestic UK shale gas industry is unproven.

Fracking has long been a contentious issue in the UK. Image: Day Donaldson, Creative Commons licence
Fracking has long been a contentious issue in the UK. Image: Day Donaldson, Creative Commons licence

“Leaving aside local environmental concerns, the jury’s still out on whether the economics of developing a UK shale industry really stack up. This is particularly true now, when the world is awash with cheap liquefied natural gas (LNG),” he said.

“Cuadrilla’s boss said today that importing shale gas is crazy and that we’re running out of gas, but it really isn’t clear that that’s the case. Having invested in UK facilities to take advantage of cheap imported gas, is it really wise to be investing in shale gas which is unlikely to bring bills down – particularly when in post-Brexit Britain we’re supposed to be chasing free trade like never before?

“It’s worth noting too that fugitive emissions of methane from shale gas extraction will count against our domestic climate change targets, whereas for imported gas they don’t. That’s why the Committee on Climate Change recommends that the Government needs to regulate these emissions very tightly – and we’re waiting for the Government’s response on that.”