After seeing successes on the end of 2021, right now the Stop Cambo group launched their advertising marketing campaign to stop the Jackdaw gasoline space. Located 155 miles off the coast of Aberdeen, the UK authorities is presently considering approval for Jackdaw, which is 100% owned and operated by Shell.
Proper right here’s what you wish to discover out about #StopJackdaw.
What’s Jackdaw
Jackdaw is doubtless one of many prime ten biggest gasoline fields left inside the North Sea, at ten events the dimensions of the Abigail oil space that was authorised in January. It’s moreover the sixteenth largest space by remaining sources; its gasoline reserves, which had been discovered 17 years prior to now, are estimated at 58 million barrels of oil equal. Burning the gasoline from Jackdaw would create 50% of the annual emissions of Scotland, or higher than the annual emissions of Ghana, in a stark demonstration of how obligation for the native climate catastrophe would not fall equally all through all nations.
Jackdaw is a high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) gasoline condensate space and its gasoline reserves have a extreme CO2 content material materials. Every parts make it a technically tough, expensive and notably polluting space to develop. Shell’s proposals for Jackdaw comprise first ‘cleaning’ its extreme emission gasoline via a selected course of, an offshore amine unit, which extracts CO2 from the gasoline so it meets export pipeline specs. Shell says it will then reduce emissions further by electrifying a facility 20 miles away, a hub it already owns known as Shearwater, to which the gasoline could be fed from a model new (and predominantly unmanned) arrange at Jackdaw itself.
These proposals had been initially rejected outright by the regulator, OPRED, because of the extreme emissions ensuing from producing Jackdaw’s gasoline, which weren’t in line with the commerce’s plan for reducing its native climate affect. First, the tactic for ‘cleaning’ the extreme CO2 gasoline (the amine unit) is itself extraordinarily emissions-intensive, as Shell will instantly vent CO2 into the ambiance. Second, the proposed electrification of the Shearwater hub would not significantly lower emissions according to OPRED on account of it won’t affect the emissions vented from the amine unit. OPRED moreover notes that Shell has solely mooted, nonetheless not however devoted to electrifying its Shearwater hub, and that its plans keep not sure.
In early 2022 Shell barely tweaked their plans and resubmitted proposals to develop Jackdaw for approval. Shell has solely made minor modifications to the Environmental Assertion whereas restating its argument for its proposed thought with out altering the final mission philosophy, proving that their industrial pursuits are Shell’s main priority. The proposals for Jackdaw are literally out for session until April 18th. If authorised over the next few months, this space could help set off a model new wave of oil and gasoline extraction.
Furthermore, the IPCC report launched remaining week echoed the choice from the Worldwide Vitality Firm: we’ll have no new oil and gasoline enlargement if we want to make our very slim window to limit warming to 1.5C
Jackdaw obtained’t help us
Shell and the oil and gasoline commerce argue that Jackdaw will revenue UK vitality security, nonetheless this isn’t true.
Jackdaw will solely intensify the native climate catastrophe, as its gasoline is very polluting on account of its naturally extreme CO2 content material materials. If authorised, Jackdaw would see the UK prioritising a relatively minor provide of gasoline, which can very effectively be supplied overseas, over its licensed obligation to chop again its emissions beneath its Internet Zero method.
Jackdaw will even do nothing to lower UK household vitality funds or current a further reliable vitality present. At its peak, Jackdaw’s output would solely meet between 1 and a pair of% of UK gasoline demand. This moreover obtained’t be for another 4 further years in 2026, and manufacturing will drop by just about 60% inside three years.
Plus, on account of the gasoline is owned by Shell, they’re going to choose to put it up for sale overseas for a higher worth. In path of the tip of ultimate yr, merely as we entered the gasoline catastrophe, the UK exported unusually large portions of gasoline for the time of yr on account of the companies that non-public it could get a higher worth elsewhere. Exports in October 2021 had been the most effective for that month for a decade, and Shell currently launched a file £14.2 billion in income all through the vitality and worth of dwelling catastrophe all through the UK.
Why Stop Jackdaw?
Of us inside the UK want a reasonable vitality present that doesn’t put our native climate at risk, the federal authorities is failing on every counts if it retains approving new fields like Jackdaw.
Correct now, most of us are locked into using fossil fuels and compelled to pay extortionate heating and gasoline funds, all the whereas determining that the UK has the easiest renewable sources in Europe that would supply us with cheap, a lot much less polluting vitality.
The shift away from fossil fuels is being delayed by vitality companies’ have to proceed to income from oil and gasoline, and our authorities is failing to face as a lot as them. All new fields will do is earn extra money for oil and gasoline companies, who’re profiteering whereas inflicting the native climate catastrophe. Shell obtained’t stop until the UK authorities stops them: while the world is racing to lower emissions and we battle to pay our vitality funds, Shell must income whereas worsening the native climate catastrophe. Shell may be headquartered inside the UK nonetheless, in 2020, the UK was the one nation the place Shell operated that it didn’t pay any tax. In precise truth, it collected just about £100m from the UK authorities. In 2021, the equivalent yr we seen file gasoline prices and extreme oil prices, Shell collected higher than $120 million from the UK.
We would like a merely and fast transition away from oil and gasoline. Every new space delays this transition to a further cheap, renewable vitality system. A merely transition should be led by oil and gasoline workers, their unions and impacted communities – not the oil and gasoline executives which have delayed precise movement for a few years. Executed accurately, with the proper help and funding, the switch away from fossil fuels might even see three jobs in clear vitality for every oil and gasoline job at risk. Solely these presently raking in oil and gasoline earnings would lose.
Learn the way to develop into concerned and #StopJackdaw
Sign the petition
Mates of the Earth Scotland, 350.org and Stop Cambo have organize mirrored petitions on the UK authorities to stop Jackdaw, stop all new oil and gasoline extraction and secure a merely transition for workers.
In case you dwell in Scotland, sign this petition. In case you dwell anyplace else, sign this one.
Endure the Setting Impression Analysis session
A session on the environmental affect of Jackdaw is presently open until April 18th.
A coalition of groups have created a technical response to the session and would love completely different organisations to enroll as co-signatories. Getting as many groups as potential to object to Jackdaw space all through the session part is crucial in order so as to add weight to campaigners’ objections and scrutiny of the mission.
Should you’re involved in any group that needs to sign onto the group response, e mail fiona@upliftuk.org by Midday April 14th.
Be part of Stop Cambo
As a bunch, Stop Cambo could be specializing within the #StopJackdaw advertising marketing campaign (seeing as a result of the Cambo oil space is presently nonetheless paused).
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