Campaigners opposed to proposals for huge gas storage caverns under Larne Lough in Northern Ireland have won their latest legal challenge.

The court of appeal in Belfast ruled that Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland and No Gas Caverns had won on both grounds of their challenge.

The groups had argued that the proposal should have been referred to the Northern Ireland executive committee because it was “cross-cutting”, “significant” or “controversial”. They also said a community fund should not have been taken into account in approving the scheme.

This judgment, which is expected to set a precedent for the future, confirmed that the previous environment minister acted irrationally when he approved the marine licence for the gas caverns.

Under the plans, seven underground caverns, each the size of a skyscraper, would be carved out of salt layers under the lough by a method known as solution mining.

Friends of the Earth NI said the resulting hypersaline salt and chemical solution created by the excavation process would be discharged into the sea in a protected marine area near Islandmagee.

This would, the organisation said, create a “dead zone” where no marine life could survive. Eleven Northern Ireland protected priority species, including harbour porpoise and skate, are found within 100m of the proposed discharge point.

Friends of the Earth NI Director, James Orr, said:

“This is a great day for local communities, our coastline and our climate. But, without a fully resourced independent Environmental Protection Agency, we must remain on high alert because this case demonstrates how government can break the law.”

Lisa Dobbie, of No Gas Caverns, said:

“It’s not every Monday that you change the way environmental decision-making works in Northern Ireland! Challenging this nature-wrecking project took over our lives for the past five years. It’s been so all-consuming; I almost don’t know what to do tomorrow now!”

Harland & Wolff, the parent company of the firm behind the project, Islandmagee Energy, told the BBC it would consider its next move.

The company’s group chief executive, John Wood, said:

“Whilst today’s judgment is disappointing, it is, unfortunately, not uncommon in the legal system. After reviewing the judgement in full, we will consider next steps in relation to our options, including but not limited to, an appeal at the Supreme Court, should the need arise.”

 The judgement follows a ruling at the High Court in August 2023 which found the project was lawful.

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