British regulators gave final approval on June 1 to develop a new North Sea gas field, while the Dutch government announced that it has issued permits for a joint gas exploration project with Germany, reported from Associated Press.

European nations are scrambling to tap new sources of natural gas that will help them wean themselves off supplies from Russia, but environmentalists have criticized the decision to invest in fossil fuels rather than renewable energy that would do less harm to the planet.

Britain’s business and energy secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, said UK regulators approved the Jackdaw gas field being developed by Shell.

Separately, the Netherlands issued permits for a new gas field off its North Sea coast on the border with Germany. The Dutch government said permission from German authorities to drill for gas in the region was still pending. If the joint project is approved, the first gas could be produced by the end of 2024, the Dutch government said.

Russian state energy giant Gazprom said on May 31 that it was halting the flow of gas to Dutch trader GasTerra, along with several other European customers. Moscow is seeking ways to retaliate against sanctions imposed by European nations over its attack on Ukraine.





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