Supply + Demand: finding a location for your action

Perhaps you’ve heard the call out for 2 days of action against the fracking supply chain and new gas infrastructure in February 2019, you’ve got an affinity group ready to take action…..but you’re unsure of where to hold an action or public demonstration? Read on for some initial ideas.

If you would like to speak to someone about planning a protest please email info@reclaimthepower.org.uk and we’ll establish a secure way to chat.

The Fracking Supply Chain

Sites with active fracking threats at this time (December 2018) include Preston New Road in Lancashire (Cuadrilla), Tinker Lane and Misson Springs in South Yorkshire (iGas), West Newton in East Yorkshire (Rathlin Energy) and Horse Hill in Surrey (UKOG).

Fracking companies need access to water, water treatment, sand, lorries, money, PR spin-doctors, government permits and politicians in its pockets.

For inspiration for previous action against the fracking supply chain – check out the actions from ‘Break the Chain 2017’ – two weeks of affinity group actions.

HSBC

Fracking is an expensive business and it is highly reliant on its financiers. Hitting a key funder of the fracking industry is therefore a great target. HSBC bank are one such target! As stakeholders in Igas, the company currently conducting efforts to drill for shale at Mission Springs in Nottinghamshire, HSBC are looking to profit from this destructive unconventional fossil fuel industry. HSBC are have increased their stake in Igas from 6% to 11% over the last 6 months. In addition to this, three of the key fracking companies bank with HSBC, these are Cuadrilla, Egdon and Celtique.

Taking action at some fracking-related sites carries additional legal risks. If you are considering an action at one of these locations, please get in touch with us on info@reclaimthepower.org.uk.

New gas infrastructure

Companies like Drax power station in North Yorkshire are trying to convert their old coal-fired units into gas-powered units, which would create a huge surge in gas demand and blow the UK’s climate targets. Other ‘Big Six’ companues such as SSE, Scottish Power, RWE are all planning large new gas-fired power stations. 15 large gas projects with a capacity of 22GW are vying to be built.

SSE

Scottish Southern & Electric (SSE) are one of the UK’s ‘Big Six’ energy companies and planning to build new gas-fired power stations at Keadby 2 (Lincolnshire – already under contrunction), Abernedd (South Wales) and Ferrybridge D (West Yorkshire).

As a recent report by Sandbag and WWF UK illustrates, if all current gas development in planning was to go ahead it could lock the UK into emissions for the next 40 years at levels way above our international commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement. We don’t need these polluting gas projects to keep the lights on – and they will cost us more in higher energy bills if they are allowed to be built.

INEOS and Plastics

Chemicals companies like INEOS are pushing for fracking in England to boost their feedstocks for plastics production. In 2017, The Guardian reported that a large boom in the US shale gas industry has resulted in a £180bn investment in plastic production facilities by fossil fuel giants such as ExxonMobil Chemical and Shell Chemical – contributing to a 40% rise in global plastic production over the next decade. We cannot allow those conditions to develop in the UK.

Supply & Demand Call Out | Guide to Organising an Action

Useful Resources for Planning an Action