Britain on Wednesday approved the Jackdaw North Sea gas field, ending years of legal and political wrangling that had pitted the Labour government's climate commitments against its push to bolster energy security, Reuters reported.

Energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said the project will start supplying gas to British homes and businesses from as early as the end of this month. She said a new Energy Wealth Fund would be established with a £2 billion downpayment to reinvest oil and gas revenues into the climate transition. Yaani: £2 billion is 200 crore pounds.

Fahnbulleh said Jackdaw was expected to increase domestic gas production by around 6% at its peak and support the country's gas supply over a lifespan of up to 11 years, protecting hundreds of jobs, Reuters reported. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: "Even on our ambitious climate path, we'll still require oil and gas as part of our energy needs for decades to come. That's why we're taking a pragmatic approach to the North Sea."

Adura, the joint venture between Shell and Norway's Equinor that operates the project, has said Jackdaw will produce up to 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent of natural gas per day at peak output, Reuters reported.

The field's fate had been in limbo for years. The previous Conservative government approved it in 2022, but climate activists challenged that decision in court alongside the Rosebank field. A 2025 ruling barred operators from extracting oil or gas until they received fresh government consent taking into account emissions from burning the fields' hydrocarbons, Reuters reported. The Guardian reported the approval was expected to draw a climate backlash, as ministers balance high fuel prices against the government's climate pledges. Sources: Reuters (Oct 21); The Guardian (Oct 21).