National Grid’s Grain LNG import terminal in the UK, Europe’s largest such facility, has reached a new utilization record.
According to a statement by National Grid, the LNG terminal has sent 102,589 GWh of gas into the grid over the twelve-month period ending May 31, the equivalent of almost 14 percent of total UK gas demand.
Theis resulted in an almost 45 percent utilization, National Grid said.
Over the same period from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023, Grain LNG also unloaded 111 ships originating from multiple countries, demonstrating its continued global reach and operational capabilities, it said.
“Given the UK’s energy integration with Europe, the last twelve months have seen high levels of exports via the interconnectors,” Simon Culkin, Grain LNG’s importation terminal manager, said:
“For our customers, Grain LNG provides the ability to store the gas and send it out when the market conditions are right. With the ability to swing from minimum to maximum flows within a short period of time, it is also an ideal partner to intermittment renewables,” Culkin said.
Long-term capacity offer
As previously reported, Europe’s largest LNG terminal welcomed 102 ships during the financial year which ended in March, breaking its previous record of 71 ships set in the financial year 2019 – 2020.
National Grid owns the terminal, infrastructure and storage tanks, and works with a range of customers who use the terminal.
The primary customers include BP/Sonatrach, Centrica, Pavilion Energy, TotalEnergies, and Uniper, according to National Grid’s website.
QatarEnergy also booked capacity from 2025 as part of the expansion of the Grain terminal.
Located on the Isle of Grain in Kent, the terminal currently has eight tanks with a capacity of 1 bcm and an annual throughput capacity of 20 bcm.
To continue providing energy security, Grain LNG is also currently engaging with potential customers on long-term regasification capacity starting in 2029, the statement said.