National Grid’s Grain LNG import terminal has recorded its highest ever utilization rate and continued to boost its international reach with the arrival of vessels from eight new countries since the start of the year.
During the month of April, the average daily sendout reached 431 GWh, beating the previous record of 412.2 GWh recorded in April 2021, National Grid said in a statement.
The figure represents 67 percent of the plant’s total utilization and equates to approximately 13 percent of the UK’s total gas demand.
“Current UK gas demand is about average for this time of year however, the impact of a freeze on Russian gas is being felt across Europe, and as a result we are seeing increased LNG deliveries,” importation terminal manager, Simon Culkin, said.
Capacity to rise
Grain LNG is the largest terminal in Europe and eighth largest in the world by tank capacity, according to National Grid.
Currently, it has 1 bcm of LNG storage capacity and an annual throughput capacity of 20 bcm, but National grid is expanding the terminal.
The company confirmed the expansion project in October 2020 after it signed a 25-year deal with state-owned LNG giant Qatar Petroleum, now QatarEnergy.
Moreover, the deal will enable QatarEnergy unit to utilize the facility in Kent from mid-2025 and the firm booked the equivalent of up to 7.2 mtpa of the terminal’s future throughput capacity.
The expansion project includes one 190,000-cbm LNG tank and associated vaporizer capacity, bringing its future annual throughput capacity to 25 bcm.
Following completion of the project, the site storage will increase to 1.2 bcm from July 2025, and the regasification capacity will increase to 800 GWh per day.
As part of the expansion project, Grain LNG will build a second cryogenic unloading line as well. With this, it would become the only terminal in Europe able to perform simultaneous unloads, National Grid said.
Also, interested parties will soon have the opportunity to book capacities at the terminal from the end of 2028.
Grain LNG intends to launch an open season to market this capacity in the “near future”, National Grid said.