Wellhead manufacturer Hartmann Valves has criticised the UK gas storage industry for not keeping pace with European rivals.
The German firm, which has recently completed a £750,000 underground gas storage project for GDF Suez, said the UK’s storage infrastructure was lagging behind the continent.
Earlier this year Ofgem warned the UK faced power shorages and risked blackouts because of a lack of investment in power generation and infrastructure.
“Britain has been a net importer of natural gas for almost ten years, which accounts for around a third of our energy needs,” said Hartmann’s Richard Newman.
“Our storage infrastructure, usually underground salt caverns or old offshore oil and gas fields, has not kept up with the changing energy situation.
“The UK’s history as a gas producer has left it with a much lower capacity to store gas compared to many European rivals, who did not enjoy major domestic gas reserves, and so have long relied on storage for supply security.”
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