The UK’s energy market regulator, Ofgem, is looking to keep Britain’s gas import capacity from mainland European connectors to preserve flexibility to import gas in case of strong demand.
Ofgem on Thursday approved Interconnector Limited entering into an agreement, under its license, with National Gas Transmission plc to reinforce gas import capability through the Great Britain-Belgium interconnector.
The UK is connected to mainland Europe with several interconnectors, through which gas can flow in both directions depending on where the demand is.
These pipelines linking the UK’s gas system with hubs in Belgium and the Netherlands are only used occasionally to import gas. Most of the imported gas the UK consumes comes from Norway via pipelines and from other gas exporters in the form of LNG.
The amount of gas import capability available to the British market through the continental interconnectors has shrunk in recent years, due to a combination of reduced commercial incentives for imports from Europe and specific technical reductions in interconnector capacity, Ofgem said today.
Even so, these interconnectors “provide an important option during periods of particularly high demand, such as severe winter weather,” the regulator noted as it opened a consultation until November 20, 2026 on keeping the existing capacity.
“Maintaining import capability through the continental interconnectors has been identified as an important action to strengthen resilience by enhancing the ability of the gas system to respond to more challenging situations in the very unlikely event that they arise,” said Glenn Bryn-Jacobsen, Director of Energy Systems and Resilience at National Gas.
Jack Presley Abbott, Director of Energy Systems Management and Security at Ofgem, commented, “Maintaining these important gas links is important as longer-term changes to the energy system continue. We have approved the agreement needed to maintain this important capability, and, as such, are consulting on the proposed regulatory mechanism for recovering its costs.”
On Wednesday, the UK government approved the long-delayed Jackdaw gas field in the first approval of a new North Sea project since the Iran war hiked energy prices. Jackdaw could start to supply gas to British homes and businesses as soon as later this month, after the UK Energy Secretary agreed that the regulator can grant consent for gas to be produced at the field.
By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com
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