A huge gas field has been found under Lincolnshire that could reportedly fuel the UK for a decade.
However, there are fears the discovery near the town of Gainsborough could spark a row as the gas would need to be extracted via fracking, with critics arguing the practice distracts from net zero goals.
The energy company behind the findings, which is set to officially announce the discovery at a conference this month, claimed the Gainsborough Trough field will boost the British economy by more than £100bn and lead to less reliance on energy imports. Egdon Resources added that it will lead to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.
Consultants Deloitte, who analysed the test drilling results on behalf of Egdon, argued that using gas from the field rather than from abroad would have significantly less environmental impact.
The newly found field has around 480 billion cubic metres of gas – roughly seven times what the country consumes each year – which it is suggested could cover the UK’s gas needs for the next 10 years, due to declining consumption, reported LBC.
However, energy secretary Ed Miliband is among the many Labour MPs as well as others across the UK who are opposed to fracking, the technique that would need to be used to extract the gas.
Fracking is short for hydraulic fracturing and refers to the practice of drilling deep down into the earth to extract shale gas and oil from porous subterranean rock formations by blasting them with a mixture of water, sand and chemicals at high pressure.
While the practice enables energy firms to access and exploit hard-to-reach resources and creates jobs, it has been the target of regular protests by green activists as another example of finite fossil fuels being exhausted when renewable energy alternatives should be prioritised in the interests of sustainability and arresting the progress of climate change, with Britain committed to net zero by 2030.
However, after previous reliance on its North Sea gas fields, which are now in decline, the UK has found itself importing more than half of its natural gas from overseas, including from the US, Norway and Qatar.
The country also has one of the highest energy bills in the developed world, which hits households and business.
Egdon’s chief executive Mark Abbott argued the test results from the Gainsborough Trough, which extends northwest towards Doncaster and Sheffield, are “potentially world-class”, adding: “We could access all that energy from drilling pads on the ground above, each roughly the size of one or two football fields. The land take would be far smaller than for solar farms and the energy produced would be far greater.”
A government spokesperson told The Independent: “We intend to ban fracking for good and make Britain a clean energy superpower to protect current and future generations.
“The biggest risk to our energy security is staying dependent on fossil fuel markets and only by sprinting to clean power by 2030 can the UK take back control of its energy – and protect both family and national finances from price spikes.
“Through our plan for change, we will reignite our industrial heartlands as we seize the opportunities of the clean energy transition, and will continue to drive investment for businesses and communities in the UK.”
The Independent has approached Egdon for further comment.
