According to industry experts, the suspension will not have any bearing on the expansion of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in the UK.

Carbon Capture and Storage Association CEO Jeff Chapman told Business Green that storing gas and CO2 were very different and that similar protests will not derail the UK’s plans to store CO2 emitted by power stations underground.

"The current thinking in the UK is to do all carbon storage offshore, so there are not likely to be any local protests," Chapman added.

The UK is planning to become a world leader in storing CO2 in geological formations and expired oil and gas reservoirs in the North Sea.