By Prof Peter Strachan and Prof Alex Russell
Today the first tanker load of US shale gas arrives at the INEOS plant in Grangemouth, as part of a massive investment by the chemicals giant, which also wants to exploit possible reserves in Scotland, using hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”. This week the UK government is expected to sign a deal with French electricity giant EDF and a Chinese partner for the £16bn Hinkley C nuclear power station in Somerset.