Page 9 - EurOil Week 31 2022

EurOil PIPELINES & TRANSPORT EurOil

Ofgem grants third-party access

exemption for Rough gas facility

UK UK energy regulator Ofgem has approved storage capacity for the winter for 2022/2023
Centrica’s request for a time-limited exemp- and 59 bcf [1.59bn cubic metres] for the winter
Rough was closed tion from negotiated third-party access rules, of 2023/2024,” Ofgem said. “We consider that
in 2018, leaving the to fast-track the restoration of the Rough stor- this provides a significant increase in gas storage
country significantly age facility ahead of winter, the regulator said capacity for the UK for the next two winters and,
low on storage capacity on August 3. consequently, promotes security of supply.”
for gas. Rough, the UK’s largest gas storage facility, The exemption to third-party access rules will
was closed in 2017 after the government at the remain in force until June 30, 2024. This would
time refused to grant it additional subsidies, enable Rough to reopen quickly, but provide the
leaving the country significantly low on storage usual amount of time for third-party access rules
capacity for a gas market of its size. But with gas to be negotiated, “providing security of supply
supply shortages looming in Europe, amid ongo- for the coming winter and benefiting UK con-
ing reductions in Russian flow, the government sumers,” Ofgem said.
has entered into talks with Centrica to reopen The regulator said it did not undertake con-
the facility for the upcoming winter heating sultations because of the urgent need to reopen
season. But Centrica said on July 28 it needed a the facility.
“regulated return model” to support a GBP2bn “The exemption is for a relatively short period
($2.4bn) investment in reopening the site. of time, less than two years, so we consider that
“Allowing gas storage operations at Rough it is likely there would be no adverse impacts on
will provide approximately an additional third parties and, if there were any impacts, these
28bn cubic feet [793mn cubic metres] of gas would be limited,” Ofgem said. ™

Week 31 05•August•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P9