Deal approved to strengthen GB-Belgium gas supplies

Ofgem has approved a deal for the UK to reinforce gas import capability through the Great Britain-Belgium interconnector.

Alongside the agreement the regulator is consulting on proposed license changes to enable National Gas to recover the costs of maintaining gas import capability between Great Britain and continental Europe.

Ofgem said the nation’s continental European gas interconnectors help maintain flexibility by connecting Great Britain to gas markets in Belgium and the Netherlands, allowing gas to flow in either direction depending on where it is needed.

In recent years, the amount of gas import capability available to the British market through Great Britain’s continental interconnectors has reduced, due to a combination of reduced commercial incentives for imports from Europe and specific technical reductions in interconnector capacity.

Jack Presley Abbott, Director of Energy Systems Management and Security at Ofgem, said: "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.”