New guidance offers boost to Scottish energy sector

MAJOR North Sea oil and gas projects halted by a court ruling will be able to reapply for consent after the Labour Government published new environmental guidance.

- By Emily Beament

The Supreme Court ruled last year that emissions created by burning fossil fuels should be considered when granting consent for new drilling sites, in a case that reverberated through the energy sector.

Subsequently, a challenge brought by environmental campaigners over approval for the Rosebank oil field off Shetland and the Jackdaw gas field off Aberdeen, was upheld at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in January.

Licensed

Greenpeace and Uplift had argued that the UK Government and North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) had acted unlawfully when granting consent to the projects. Under the new guidance, developers will now be able to submit planning applications to extract fossil fuels in oil and gas fields that are already licensed, which includes Rosebank and Jackdaw.