STORY: It has sparked protests wherever it has been tried.

And been the subject of a moratorium since 2019.

But now fracking for shale gas is getting the green light once more in the UK.

The government formally lifted the moratorium on Thursday (September 23).

Business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said all sources of energy need to be explored.

That as Europe grapples with soaring costs sparked by Russia’s move to throttle supplies of gas.

Fracking extracts gas from rocks by breaking them up under pressure.

It was put on hold over concerns the process could cause earthquakes.

A 2011 tremor at one site near Blackpool, in northern England, woke residents in the night.

The most advanced fracking sites in the country were operated by Australian-owned Cuadrilla.

However, restrictions meant neither of its two wells were ever fully tested.

Now critics say fracking won’t do much for this winter’s energy crisis, as it will take years for the industry to develop.

It’s also unclear whether significant amounts of gas could be extracted in the UK.

The government says ending the ban will allow drilling to restart, and more data to be gathered.