Homegrown Gas is Vital for UK Energy Security
Professor John Underhill, University director for energy transition at The Interdisciplinary Institute, Aberdeen University, highlights the critical importance of secure gas supplies for the UK’s energy security in an opinion piece published on 5 December 2025.
He notes that the UK nearly ran out of gas in March 2013, demonstrating the ongoing risks associated with storage and supply security. Almost 85% of the UK's approximately 30 million homes depend on gas for heating and cooking, and gas also provides more than half of the electricity base load on cold, windless, dark days, underscoring its essential role in national security.
Key infrastructure such as the Ormen Lange gas field and the Langeled pipeline are identified as critical points of failure for gas security. To address these risks, the government is urged to incentivise domestic gas production within UK waters to ensure supply resilience during the energy transition.
Recent policy relaxations through transitional energy certificates are welcomed, but the author advocates for the removal of the windfall tax to encourage greater investment in domestic gas production. Maintaining the windfall tax risks deterring investment, which could increase vulnerability to gas shortages.
While liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Qatar and the US offer alternatives, they have higher carbon intensity and carry potential risks of price spikes compared to domestic production. Prof Underhill stresses that boosting homegrown gas is vital for maintaining the UK's energy security amidst the ongoing transition to cleaner energy sources.
