UK lifts ban on fracking to seek energy independence

First modification: 09/22/2022 – 19:55

When Liz Truss appeared before the British Parliament as prime minister on September 7, her initial announcement was that she would present a plan to help alleviate the rising costs of electricity in the United Kingdom.

Days later, the Conservative leader announced a cap on the increase in bills, both for homes and businesses, as part of a comprehensive plan estimated at more than 100,000 million pounds sterling, which also included lifting the ban on fracking in where the communities support it.

Three years ago, under pressure from environmental groups, the British oil industry regulator decided to ban this activity, an unconventional form of oil extraction that has pitted industry and governments against environmentalists for years.

The decision fell at the time on the impossibility of predicting the magnitude of the earthquakes that could trigger the activity, which consists of extracting shale gas from the rocks, through hydraulic fracturing.

But today, in the midst of a major energy crisis and an ongoing war, the British Government lifted the moratorium.

Developing all available energy sources “is an absolute priority”

The Secretary for Business and Energy, Jacob Rees-Mogg, assured this Thursday before Parliament that all available sources must be explored to increase national production, “so it is correct that we have lifted the pause.”

Addressing concerns from communities and environmentalists, Rees-Mogg said the practice was “safe” and that the limits of seismic activity should be reassessed so it could be carried out “effectively and efficiently.”

A report, requested by the government and published this Thursday by the British Geological Survey (BGS, for its acronym in English), revealed that, since little fracking has been done in the country, “it remains a challenge” to estimate the seismic impact What could I have.

The largest tremor caused by this type of activity took place in a field in Blackpool, in the north of England, in 2011, when it registered a magnitude of 2.3 on the Richter scale. Following the incident, the government introduced a traffic light system that suspended work if seismic activity of 0.5 or more was detected.

Rees-Mogg explained that activity of 2.5 and below has occurred “millions of times a year around the world”, adding that the seismic movements of the construction industry were double those achieved by fracking in England. .

A medium and not short-term solution

Experts say restarting the industry will do nothing to ease energy prices this winter as it would take many years to develop and it is unclear whether a significant amount of gas could be extracted, with the fields only at the exploratory stage.

British Greenpeace activists echoed the statements of the president of Cuadrilla, one of the players in the industry: “The head of one of the largest fracking companies in Great Britain has said that fracking will not work in the United Kingdom due to “challenging geology” and, in turn, will not lower energy prices. If the head of a fracking company can see that it won’t work, why can’t the government do it?”

The devolved governments of Scotland or Wales have guaranteed that moratoria on fracking will continue.