The gas storage facility, Rough, has pumped gas into the UK grid to meet increased demand as the country looks to use more for heating as winter looms.
Centrica, the operator of Rough, said that the move aimed to help meet demand while keeping prices down. This marks the first time Rough has released gas this winter.
Chris O’Shea, group chief executive for Centrica, commented: “Customers are struggling with high energy bills which are driven by international energy prices.
“Gas storage is vital to ensure the UK can manage demand effectively, keeping prices down, and Rough contributes more than 50% of the UK’s total gas storage.”
Centrica has filled Rough with the equivalent of 18 LNG tankers this year, enough energy to heat over 3 million homes throughout the cold season.
The facility reopened in October last year after closing its doors in 2017 and its capacity was doubled this summer.
Rough, which is 18 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire, now provides half of the UK’s total gas storage.
Mr O’Shea added: “I’m proud of the actions our team has taken over the last 18 months, including our decision to bring Rough back online, to underpin the UK’s energy security.
“However, we still have the lowest levels of energy storage of the world’s major economies with the ability to store fewer than 8 days of peak winter demand and this leaves us susceptible to shocks in international markets.
“Gas will continue to be used as a transition fuel for the foreseeable future and we are prepared to invest around £2 billion to quadruple the size of Rough and turn it into the world’s biggest methane and hydrogen storage facility.
“This would improve materially the UK’s energy resilience and support the transition to net zero, but to invest this amount of money we need the right regulatory support framework.”
