Government expected to approve Jackdaw gas field on Wednesday
Developers have been waiting for a fresh decision on the controversial gas field since January 2025.
The UK government is set to greenlight Jackdaw, a significant gas field off the coast of Scotland, on Wednesday according to multiple sources. A senior government official and two people familiar with the plans confirmed to POLITICO that an announcement was slated for the early hours of the day. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is slated to sign off on the environmental statement, which is being overseen by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment & Decommissioning.
The North Sea Transition Authority is also anticipated to approve the project's field development plan. Jackdaw, a major fossil fuel development located off the Aberdeen coast, was first approved for a license in June 2022, however, the decision was overturned in the courts due to a legal challenge from environmental groups in January 2025.
The developer of the project, Adura, is a joint venture between Shell and Equinor, and they hold the majority ownership, along with Ithaca Energy. Adura estimates that Jackdaw could meet approximately 6% of the UK's North Sea gas production, which is sufficient to heat the equivalent of 1.4 million homes. However, the government did not respond to requests for comment from POLITICO. Additional reporting was provided by Abby Wallace and Charlie Cooper.
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