Boris Johnson’s government has been urged to close the door on fracking forever, amid reports that Downing Street is considering a rethink on the controversial energy resource.
Mr Johnson said the UK ban on Russian oil imports was an important “first step” to punish Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine – but he has thus far resisted Tory MPs’ calls to end the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing of gas in Britain.
Ministers are considering handing over two Cuadrilla fracking sites in Lancashire to the Royal Geographical Society for research, rather than allow them to be concreted over as planned, according to reports.
The prime minister has “opened the door” on the return to fracking by asking his ministers to explore whether it can help diversify the country’s energy supply, according to The Telegraph.
Former cabinet minister Lord Frost – who has campaigned for the current fracking ban to be reversed – said it was a “sensible first step” from the government amid concerns over soaring energy costs from the crisis.
Fellow ex-Tory minister Robert Jenrick said fracking could play a role in a “more pragmatic energy policy” – claiming it could ease soaring bills. “I personally was always a supporter of fracking … I think we should be revisiting that question,” he told BBC Newsnight.
But green campaigners urged the government to resist pressure from Tory MPs and end dependence on all forms of gas.
Greenpeace UK’s head of energy Rosie Rogers: “Trying to restart fracking now would only mean wasting more time when we have little. It will take many years to develop and if it ever gets produced, it will be sold to the highest bidder on the international market, with no impact on our energy bills.”
She added: “UK government should work on an emergency plan to free our country from gas dependence. This would protect households from soaring bills, tackle the climate crisis and weaken Putin’s hand.”
Jamie Peters, Friends of the Earth’s acting campaigns director, said: “Fracking is not the answer to the energy crisis, and would do little to slash soaring bills – as energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng acknowledged last week. It is polluting, disruptive and deeply unpopular across the country.”
As recently as Monday, Downing Street had denied suggestions the fracking moratorium could be lifted in response to the Ukraine crisis.
“It would take years of exploration and development before any quantities of shale gas could be extracted and wouldn’t have an impact on prices affecting Europe in the near future,” said a No 10 spokesperson.
And energy minister Lord Callanan warned of “severe environmental problem” with shale gas production, adding that “Lancashire is not Texas”, being much more heavily populated.
A moratorium was imposed on fracking in November 2019 after it caused two minor earthquakes in Lancashire.
Last month, energy company Cuadrilla said the UK government’s Oil and Gas Authority had ordered the two shale wells in Lancashire to be filled and abandoned.
Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the move to phase out Russian oil products by the end of the year will “ensure a smooth transition so that consumers will not be affected”.
US president Joe Biden ordered a ban on Russian oil imports, while the EU was also expected to announce a phasing out.
The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy department (BEIS) and No 10 are yet to comment on reports about a reconsideration of fracking policy.
