英国仍有60%的天然气依赖进口，即便有了杰克道（Jackdaw）气田，其能源供应和韧性方面的问题也不会消失。在北海杰克道气田获批（尽管这一批准来得迟了）之后，又有一件事提醒人们：英国仍有近60%的天然气依赖进口，而这些天然气总得有个来源。如今我们正与比利时达成一项协议，以确保今年冬天如果出现监管机构口中那套拗口说法所称的“低概率但高影响的压力事件”时，有足够的供应能通过一条连接管道输送过来。
The UK still imports 60% of its gas and, even with Jackdaw, its energy supply and resilience problems are not going away After the overdue approval of the Jackdaw field in the North Sea, here comes a reminder that Britain still imports almost 60% of its gas and the stuff has to come from somewhere. We’re now doing a deal with Belgium to ensure enough supply can flow through a connecting pipeline this winter should a “low-probability but high-impact stress event”, to quote the regulatory mouthful, occur.
平心而论，维持从比利时输入能力的这一安排是一种双保险措施。所设想的事件听起来确实压力不小，而且也许永远不会发生。那将意味着，在需求极高的漫长寒潮期间，某处关键基础设施——比如位于米尔福德港（Milford Haven）、负责将液化天然气（LNG）输入英国的两座进口终端——必须停止运行。
To be fair, the arrangement to maintain capacity from Belgium is a belt-and-braces measure. The imagined events do sound genuinely stressful and may never happen. A critical piece of infrastructure, such as the two import terminals in Milford Haven to bring in liquefied natural gas (LNG) into Britain, would have to be out of action during a prolonged cold snap in which demand is very high.