Centrica has made its first injection of gas into the Rough storage site in over five years, having completed engineering upgrades over the summer and commissioning over early autumn. The re-opening comes as the price of gas in Europe plunged, as unseasonally warm weather kept the continent’s existing storage facilities full of gas.
Centrica said the initial work would allow it to store up to 30 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas for over winter 2022/23 – around 20% of its previous capacity. That adds 50% to gas storage within the UK. Now Centrica will inject gas into the facility when prices are low and sell it into the UK when the price is higher.
The company says long-term aim is to turn the Rough gas field into the largest long duration energy storage facility in Europe, capable of storing both natural gas and hydrogen.
The UK has diverse gas supplies with connections with Norway and other European countries and a number of LNG import terminals. However, post Brexit it is no longer part of the EU’s internal energy market with simple access to larger gas stores from across the bloc.
Centrica Group Chief Executive, Chris O’Shea, said “I’m delighted that we have managed to return Rough to storage operations for this winter following a substantial investment in engineering modifications. Our long-term aim remains to turn the Rough field into the world’s biggest methane and hydrogen storage facility…
“In the short term we think Rough can help our energy system by storing natural gas when there is a surplus and producing this gas when the country needs it during cold snaps and peak demand. Rough is not a silver bullet for energy security, but it is a key part of a range of steps which can be taken to help the UK this winter.”
Further reading
Centrica granted consents to reopen Rough storage