National Grid's Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal was successfully commissioned and made available for commercial operations from 15 July 2005.

Final commissioning was carried out using the 138,000m³ Sonatrach/Bergessen vessel, the Berge Arzew, which travelled from Arzew in Algeria and arrived at Grain on 4 July 2005.

Access to Importation Capacity

All primary capacity at the terminal has been auctioned through open season processes and is fully contracted as follows:

• BP/Sonatrach have a 3.3mtpa, 20-year contract to use the terminal to berth and unload LNG ships and store LNG, before regasification and nomination of gas for delivery into the UK’s National Transmission System.
• 6.5mtpa of expansion capacity has been contracted to Centrica, Gaz de France and Sonatrach, again on a long term basis from winter 2008/09
  

The contractual arrangements at the site allow the primary capacity holders to sell importation capacity (berthing slots, space or deliverability) to secondary users. Parties interested in obtaining secondary capacity therefore need to contact the primary capacity holders above in the first instance. For any enquiries as to the availability of secondary capacity from the current primary capacity holders please contact the BP/Sonatrach Grain LNG Agency at http://www.lngga.com.

Additionally a bulletin board is available for parties to express interest in buying or selling capacity at the terminal.

Access to any capacity, whether on a secondary or a UIOLI basis, is on Grain LNG’s  terms and conditions (see below).

To the extent that primary capacity (or secondary capacity) is not being utilised then in accordance with the terminal’s exemption from Third Party Access requirements, Grain LNG will operate a ‘use it or lose it’ (UIOLI) facility at the terminal.  Available quantities of UIOLI capacity are set out below, this information is updated regularly.

The following linked presentation, given at the industry meeting on 12 December 2005, summarises the position of the facility with regard the first and second phases of development, and illustrates the process involved in determining whether capacity can be made available under UIOLI obligations.

How to apply for access

Parties interested in obtaining access to the terminal to utilise secondary or UIOLI capacity must comply with the Grain LNG General Terms & Conditions. These can be obtained, together with other applicable conditional documents such as the Terminal Operating Procedures and Ship Vetting requirements, by entering into a confidentiality agreement with Grain LNG. The confidentiality agreement can be obtained by writing, stating your interest in the terminal, to:-

Ed Carter
Commercial Operations
National Grid GLNG
Isle of Grain
Rochester
Kent
ME3 0AB

Please also contact Ed Carter for any other information you require with regard access to the Grain LNG terminal - Ed.Carter@uk.ngrid.com.

Current 'Use It or Lose It' Quantities

The following capacity is available: A berthing slot on the 19th of October, 2008 with 48100m3 (liquid) of temporary storage space and associated regasification capacity between the 19th and 24th October , 2008 inclusive.