Ed Miliband gets to decide whether to approve Jackdaw (Image: Getty)
Emissions from the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea will “not materially influence” global warming, a report from its owner has suggested.
The project would make up less than 0.02% of yearly global greenhouse gases during its lifetime, Adura’s updated Environmental Impact Assessment said.
Jackdaw was previously approved under the Conservatives, before being put on ice when a court appeal forced a new environmental assessment.
Campaigners demanded that the Government reject both the Jackdaw gas field and the Rosebank oil field developments.
Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said: “The only people this policy is working for are lawyers. We need gas.
“We can get it from Jackdaw and the North Sea, or we can ship it on diesel tankers from Qatar, with four times the emissions.
“It’s obviously better for carbon emissions that we drill in the North Sea, and it’s better for the British economy too.”
The 159-page submission on Jackdaw said that displacing imported liquified natural gas from the US with gas from the Jackdaw field would save the equivalent of four million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
The previous revised EIA, submitted in November, said the Jackdaw field could produce up to 35.8million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions or equivalent during its lifetime, which is around 90% of Scotland’s total emissions.
The updated assessment, requested by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning, required Adura to provide additional context on how emissions would affect global ambitions to limit climate change.
Adura is a joint venture between UK energy giant Shell and Norwegian firm Equinor.
The legal case had been brought by environmental groups Uplift and Greenpeace.
Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said: “Jackdaw will have no impact on our energy bills and do precious little to increase our gas supply.
“Even in the most optimistic scenario, and assuming none of its gas is exported, it would provide just 2% of UK gas demand over its nine to 12-year lifetime.
“The reality is, after 50 years of drilling, the UK has now burned most of its gas, and a relatively small gas field like Jackdaw will do next to nothing to reduce our dependence on imports.
“And while we remain hooked on gas, we will get poorer, while companies like Jackdaw’s owner, Shell, cash in. High gas prices are what’s forcing millions into energy debt, while Shell is forecast to earn nearly $30billion this year.
“The only way to insulate ourselves from price shocks is to double down on renewables and upgrade homes to get us off gas.”
Labour was elected on a manifesto that promised not to approve new oil and gas licences.
But the Government considers this not to apply to Jackdaw due to the prior consent, leaving the door open for Jackdaw to be approved.
It is up to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, a supporter of net zero, to decide whether to approve the project.