Fracking and onshore wind have been touted as potential solutions to an energy crisis in Britain that has put ministers under pressure over soaring consumer fuel prices.
The government says a rewritten energy strategy will be published shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine added to the woes of Europe’s fuel consumers.
Cabinet minister Brandon Lewis said on Saturday that the government “can’t completely nullify” the effects of the global energy crunch as the UK faces calls to ease costs with a windfall tax on energy providers.
Such a tax “won’t necessarily have the impact on global prices that people think it will” and would deprive energy companies of money needed to produce more power, argued Mr Lewis on Sky News.
Protests were due on Saturday over what the opposition describes as a cost-of-living crisis, after energy regulator Ofgem announced a 54 per cent rise in its price cap during what it called a once-in-a-generation gas squeeze.
As ministers look to increase domestic energy supply, the Daily Telegraph reported Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be presented with plans to double the UK’s onshore wind capacity by 2030 and treble it by 2035.
Mr Johnson could sign off the proposals as soon as next week, it said. But some of his own Conservative MPs are sceptical of wind power and of loosening planning laws to build new turbines.
The prime minister, who once said turbines in Britain “couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding”, has warmed to wind power in recent years but has previously put more emphasis on offshore wind parks.
Another politically contentious option would be a revival of shale gas fracking, a practice that was halted in 2019 because of concerns that the drilling could cause earthquakes.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has said that fracking would not lower costs because the problem in Britain is high global energy prices rather than a shortage of gas.
“Producers won’t sell shale gas to UK consumers below the market price. They’re not charities,” he said.
But some MPs are urging him to reconsider, and the head of British Gas owner Centrica, Chris O’Shea, said the idea was worth looking into.
“The key question is, do we want to source our gas from overseas? Or do we want to have more gas domestically? And shale is certainly worth exploring,” he told BBC radio.
However, “we do have to be careful, if it does cause earthquakes, it's not something we should do,” he said.
Mr Johnson has promised that Britain will stop importing Russian oil by the end of the year and look at reducing what is already a small quantity of gas purchases from Moscow.
Russian imports account for 18 per cent of Britain’s diesel but none of its petrol and heating oil, ministers say.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Scoreline
Bournemouth 2
Wilson 70', Ibe 74'
Arsenal 1
Bellerin 52'
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
