Energy boss backs gas field to lower bills

The UK has been encouraged to open a Lincolnshire gas field to fracking to bring down energy bills.

Earlier this month it was suggested the Gainsborough Trough sedimentary basin could supply more than 16 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Speaking at the Lincolnshire Energy Conference on Tuesday, George Yates, chief executive of HEYCO Energy Group, an American company that has has been exploring gas deposits in the area, claimed opening the field would create jobs, boost the economy and lower carbon emissions by making the UK less reliant on imports.

However, opponents insist fracking risks water, air and noise pollution.

The process of extracting gas, known as fracking, is facing a complete ban by the government, meaning there would need to be a change of policy.

Mr Yates said: "What I'm admonishing Lincolnshire to do, the country to do, is use the very best energy technologies, which is hydraulic fracking."

Mr Yates suggested the UK would need gas "for decades", adding: "The question is, will it be a producer or an importer?

"The country is already in the shale gas business – it's just not developing its own resources or reaping the benefits."

Mr Yates said using homegrown gas would be greener than importing it.

Projections showed the Gainsborough reserves would last for 36 years, and could meet the UK's demand for gas for nearly seven years on its own.

Protesters from Extinction Rebellion held a sign saying 'No Future In Fossil Fuels' outside the conference.

Organiser Rosemary Robinson said: "The gas field will probably be lauded as a fantastic discovery, but we can't afford to use fossil fuels any longer.

"We're approaching climate change tipping points very quickly, and the last thing we need is more oil and gas."

Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Net Zero and Energy Security, has plans to put a stop to fracking permanently.

A government spokesperson said: "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."

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