The U.K. government approved a natural gas project off the coast of Scotland over the objections of environmental groups on Wednesday, saying it would improve energy security as the country transitions to renewable sources of energy.

Gas from the Jackdaw field east of Aberdeen, which was stalled by a court ruling in 2024, is expected to start flowing into Britain's gas distribution network later this year, reducing reliance on foreign energy threatened by conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine.

The government has yet to rule on the Rosebank project west of the Shetland Islands, which is expected to produce mainly crude oil.