UK Terminal Sets All-time EU Record

Grain LNG, Europe’s largest LNG terminal in Kent, UK, now holds the European Union's one-day LNG regasification record, the operator said November 14.  

The terminal, situated on the Isle of Grain in the Thames estuary, exported 698 GWh of gas November 13, beating its previous record by more than 100 GWh. The new record represents around a quarter of UK gas demand, which is enough to supply gas to all of London and the southeast, it said November 14. 

The operator, a deregulated subsdiary of wires and pipes operator National Grid, said the record was part of a broader trend that has seen rising demand for capacity from key market players at the terminal over the last year. The operator is mulling ways to extend capacity use, through new allocation procedures. 

Commercial manager Nicola Duffin said that it was not rising gas demand but rising LNG supply that saw the send-out peaking. Demand is only a little above seasonal average. But the oversupply has caused a sharp increase in demand for capacity as the LNG has to go somewhere. "We expect utilisation will remain high throughout the winter and beyond. This is good news for UK consumers, who will benefit from more secure and more competitively priced gas supplies,” she said.

Once vapourised the LNG can also go through pipelines to the continent, of which there are two: Interconnector UK and the Balgzand-Bacton Line, which has been flowing gas to the Netherlands this autumn. The direction of flow depends on where the prices are higher.