Time to rethink natural gas

SINCE 2002, the United Kingdom has become a net importer of natural gas with our own North Sea reserves now in sharp decline and expected to tail off in the next 20 years.

In practical terms, that means that as a nation, we are now having to source this most useful of fuels from further afield and this is going to make us vulnerable to world markets.

This week has seen the first of a new generation of ships docking at Milford Haven bringing liquefied natural gas from the Middle East.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This has been one of the largest engineering projects this country has ever seen, with five storage containers, each larger than the Royal Albert Hall, being constructed to house the gas and a 200-mile long pipeline carrying the received gas to the distribution networks.

It is expected that this facility will be able to handle 15 million tonnes of gas per year.

The facility has not been without controversy, with many concerns being raised about the fragility of the Pembrokeshire Coast, protests about the pipeline being built across the Brecon Beacons National Park and concerns about the safety of the liquefied gas.

Yet, despite the protests, the facility is being hailed as an opportunity to protect and safeguard our gas supplies for many years to come.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Gas through the facility will arrive mostly from Qatar, although there are a variety of countries, such as Trinidad, and other Middle Eastern countries, involved in the industry which have been traditionally too far away for pipeline technology to be used.

Although some liquefied gas has been delivered by ship for a number of years, the new terminal will increase the proportion of this source to almost one-third of the UK's needs.

Will this be the last natural gas facility to be built?

Given our insatiable appetite for the fuel, which is used for the majority of domestic heating, cooking and generating electricity, this seems unlikely unless a new "wonder fuel" comes along in the next few years.

-------------------------------------

Click here for more Greenwatch.

Where are you? Add your pin to the Herald's international readers' map by clicking here.

Email the Herald: [email protected]

Want to read this page in French, German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Urdu or 48 other languages? click here for Google translate.