September 15, 2023 [LNG Prime]- National Grid’s Grain LNG import terminal in the UK, Europe’s largest such facility, has on Thursday launched an auction for 375 GWh/d (about 9 mtpa) of existing capacity.
This process started Thursday and will and run until November 23, according to a statement by National Grid.
Located on the Isle of Grain in Kent, the terminal currently has eight tanks with a capacity of 1 bcm, two jetties, and an annual throughput capacity of 20 bcm or some 15 mtpa.
Grain LNG, which is part of National Grid Ventures, has used the “positive feedback” received from the recent market consultation exercise and, following Ofgem approval, is offering three lots of capacity, it said.
Each lot will consist of 42 berthing slots, 200,000 cbm of storage and 125GWh/d (about 3 mtpa) of regasification capacity from as early as January 2029.
Grain LNG designed this product specifically for “parties who wish to acquire a substantial stake in a major terminal in Northwest Europe, at a reduced cost and with shorter contract lengths when compared to newbuild projects,” the statement said.
The business has also worked with Ofgem to arrange a “joint bid” provision, facilitating arrangements whereby participants can put a joint bid in the auction and share capacity, it said.
“We continue to be encouraged by the high level of interest shown by potential customers at a time of significant geo-political influence on the world’s energy markets,” Simon Culkin, importation terminal manager at Grain LNG, said.
“It has allowed us to engage and shape our offering to best meet customer’s needs, whilst optimizing the best possible access to this strategically important asset,” Culkin said.
Record Utilization
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.
Also, 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.
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.
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