Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has ordered the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), an armed police force, to expand beyond nuclear sites to protect major gas terminals across Britain. The 1,600-strong force will take over from Ministry of Defence groups in April 2025, prioritising coastal gas plants including St Fergus in Aberdeenshire, Easington in Hull, and Norfolk's Bacton terminal.
The decision follows rising climate protests targeting fossil fuel infrastructure. Groups like Just Stop Oil and Greenpeace have increasingly disrupted energy sites, with Just Stop Oil blocking 10 oil terminals in 2022 in an attempt to paralyse the fossil fuel industry. Greenpeace protesters occupied an oil platform ship for 13 days last year, while Bacton terminal has previously faced environmental protests.
However, the CNC stated the expansion is "not being undertaken in response to a new threat having been identified." The move also addresses broader geopolitical concerns following sabotage attacks on European energy infrastructure, including the Nord Stream pipelines and the Balticconnector pipeline between Finland and Estonia.
Britain's vulnerability stems from its heavy reliance on foreign gas imports, with Norwegian subsea pipelines accounting for 57% of total imports last year. The Easington terminal receives the majority of this fuel, while Bacton imports gas from Belgium and the Netherlands.
The Energy Act 2023 enabled this expansion, allowing the CNC's "specialist skills and capabilities to be utilised across a range of sectors to protect the public." The constabulary currently operates at around a dozen nuclear sites, including Sellafield in Cumbria, and maintains a marine protection unit for nuclear cargo shipments.
Offshore protection continues through the Royal Navy and RAF's Lossiemouth base, operating Typhoon squadrons and Poseidon marine patrol aircraft equipped for anti-submarine warfare and surveillance missions.