Old National Grid site to be turned into UK’s biggest petroleum gas storage centre

The old National Grid facility at Avonmouth is being turned into the biggest petroleum gas storage centre in the UK.

Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) supplier Flogas Britain has been granted planning permission by Gloucestershire County Council to convert the site into a storage facility.

The company will store 34,564 tonnes of LPG at the site, which will be the largest of its kind in the UK.

National Grid previously owned the facility and used it to store liquid natural gas.

Lee Gannon, Flogas Britain’s managing director, said: “Once operational, Avonmouth will be a game-changer, massively increasing the UK’s total LPG storage capability.

“Our investment in this demonstrates our unwavering commitment to security of LPG supply and to the LPG industry in general.”

The timing of the announcement comes at a crucial time for the UK energy industry, as it digests the implications of the Clean Growth Strategy and the need to move away from high-carbon fossil fuels.

“LPG has an important role to play in delivering the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy, providing off-grid businesses and homeowners with an excellent low carbon, low-cost alternative to oil and solid fuels,” added Lee.

Jon Butterworth, president of global transmission for National Grid, says the Avonmouth site has been the “lifeblood” of the local community for the last 40 years.

He said he was “enormously proud” to hand over ownership of the facility to Flogas.

What is liquid petroleum gas (LPG)?

LPG is a low-carbon fuel which is supplied to customers who are not connected to the mains grid.

It is a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons, produced from natural gas and oil extraction (66 per cent) and from oil refining (34 per cent).

It is automatically generated during the production of methane and during the refining process itself.

LPG exists in two forms - propane and butane.

Propane is primarily used for central heating, cooking and numerous commercial applications, while butane, which doesn’t work in colder conditions, is used for powering indoor portable heaters.

Source: Bristolpost