UK gas storage2 Apr 2018 19:13
https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/energy/house/93922/alan-whitehead-forget-putin-real-threat-uks-energy-security-closer-home ................
Alan Whitehead MP
Posted On: 26th March 2018
Vladimir Putin does not have a stranglehold on our gas supplies. But there are real concerns about the UK's future energy security, says Alan Whitehead ....
The UK's largest strategic storage site, the depleted Rough field in the North Sea, closed last year. Credit: PA .......................................................
It is not strictly speaking possible to distinguish the exact origin of gas coming through pipelines which are connected across Europe, and while Russia provides about a third of European supplies generally, only about 1% of UK pipeline supply is estimated to be of Russian origin.
So no stranglehold on our gas supplies for Vladimir; but there is a real issue of UK gas security for the future. We can clearly manage supplies during a bad weather episode but, strategically, the UK now has very little storage available. Especially since by far the largest strategic storage site, the depleted Rough field in the North Sea into which large quantities of gas were piped as long-term storage, closed last year. Rough was responsible for about 70% of UK gas storage; now we have some gas stored in hollowed-out salt caverns in Cheshire, but precious little else.
It is argued that continued North Sea gas production, coupled with supplies from reliable fields in Norway and the Netherlands, buttressed by the gas in Britain’s enormous gas grid system, will form an effective strategic buffer, but it is now true that the UK has only a few days of strategic gas supply storage. ......................................................
It is essentially down to government to commission further gas storage, which could be through further use of salt caverns, or through a new depleted field in the North Sea, perhaps in conjunction with the development of carbon capture and storage technology. We do need to replace at least half the capacity that existed in Rough, and get our number of days of strategic storage up closer to our European neighbours.
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