AMEC's key role in huge gas project

Jan 26 2010 by Kelley Price, Evening Gazette

DARLINGTON engineers are to design a massive subsea storage project to help safeguard vital UK gas reserves.

Engineering firm AMEC will provide front-end design services for the £600m Gateway Underground Gas Storage Project, in the Irish Sea off Barrow-in-Furness.

At 1.5 billion cubic metres, the major facility will represent about a third of the UK’s current capacity.

Gas storage is crucial for keeping energy prices stable, as it allows energy companies to buy gas at times of low demand when prices are cheaper, and release it at peak times.

The UK is increasingly dependent on gas imports from countries like Norway, Russia and the Middle East. By 2018, it’s predicted more than 70% of the UK’s gas needs will be met by imports.

The latest project will store the gas in vast caverns 15 miles offshore, underneath the sea bed and release it when the UK’s transmission system needs it.

Engineers from AMEC’s Darlington branch will work on above-ground facilities for the project, which marks the company’s first contract in the offshore gas storage sector.

The recent cold snap highlighted the importance of sufficient gas storage. As temperatures plummeted to -21C in some areas earlier this month, concerns about UK gas rationing grew as the Government attempted to reassure the public the UK’s gas supply was resilient.