Energy companies have urged the UK to take “urgent” action over the amount of “toxic” and “hazardous” contaminants in the gas it is processing for export to the EU.
They warned the problem could force critical subsea pipelines to be shut down this winter as mainland Europe struggles to replace the gas it usually buys from Russia.
The UK has become a vital gas bridge to the EU since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, leaving the bloc rushing to secure alternative supplies.
EU countries are urgently trying to fill up their gas storage facilities amid fears that Russia could cut off supplies entirely.
To help these efforts, the UK has been processing large volumes of liquefied natural gas arriving at its ports from countries including the US and Qatar. This is then moved through Britain’s energy system before it is exported via subsea pipelines from Bacton in Norfolk to Belgium and the Netherlands.
But several energy companies warned that in recent months gas delivered to UK terminals has persistently been “contaminated” with high levels of materials that are often “radioactive” and can burn when they come into contact with the air.
Removing the materials has resulted in disruption that has cost gas traders an estimated É270mn so far this year and could force maintenance shutdowns if the situation deteriorates, said the businesses.
These companies include a group majority owned by Belgian infrastructure giant Fluxys, Gazprom’s former trading arm of which the German government took control this year and rebranded Securing Energy for Europe, and French utility EDF. They have called on National Grid, which oversees Britain’s gas system, to take “urgent” action to address the problem.
Britain has been maximizing exports to the EU this summer because in winter it relies on gas flowing back from mainland Europe, which has superior storage facilities, to meet demand at peak times.