After recently announcing a further £310 million expansion at its Grain LNG importation terminal, National Grid is now looking for additional staff to run its Isle of Grain facility which plays an important role in securing gas supplies for the future. Already undergoing substantial development, on completion of this additional phase, the terminal will be able to import around 20% of forecast UK gas demand in 2010.
Originally used as a storage facility for gas supplies, National Grid spent £130 million to convert the site into an importation terminal which welcomed its first cargo of liquid natural gas (LNG) in July 2005. As our own North Sea gas supplies are starting to run down, the UK is becoming increasingly reliant on gas from overseas and LNG imports are playing a crucial role to ensure we have enough gas for our cookers and heating. LNG is essentially the gas we use at home, but chilled to -161 degrees centigrade. In liquid form it takes up 600 times less the space so is an extremely efficient way to store and transport gas.
National Grid’s Grain LNG terminal comprises of a purpose built unloading jetty in the River Medway that is connected to four storage tanks. Over 60 cargoes have unloaded at the terminal to date and it has been a valuable source of gas over the winter periods.
Work is currently underway to construct three new LNG tanks, which will provide enough additional capacity in late 2008 to support up to 12% of gas demand. Bringing National Grid’s total investment in the terminal to over three quarters of a billion, a further project will start this summer to build a second jetty in the River Medway and another tank to increase the amount of gas that can be imported.
Expansion at the terminal will not only increase the supply of gas but also opens up a number of unique job opportunities at the Isle of Grain. Grain LNG is looking to recruit into a variety of roles including experienced managers, engineers and support staff. Although there are technical and specialist roles available for those with experience, there are also opportunities for graduates or school leavers with both graduate and apprentice schemes in place.
National Grid is the UK’s largest utility company and with long-term contracts in place at Grain LNG with leading energy companies BP, Sonatrach, Centrica, Gaz de France, E.On and Iberdrola, the business has a secure future and the opportunities are well worth a look.
For more details about vacancies please visit www.nationalgrid.com/grainlng or contact Andrew Nash on 01634 273186 andrew.nash@uk.ngrid.com .
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Louise Farrell +44 (0)1926 655373
Christine Riches +44 (0)7785 508661
Photographs of National Grid Grain LNG are available for free download at www.newscast.co.uk. Case studies and further information is also available on request (please use contact numbers above).
Notes to Editors:
National Grid
National Grid is one of the world's largest utilities, focused on delivering energy safely, reliably, efficiently and responsibly. Our principal interests are in the transmission and distribution of electricity and gas in the UK and US.
We own the high-voltage electricity system in England and Wales and operate the system across Great Britain. We also own and operate the high pressure gas transmission system in Great Britain, and the country’s largest gas distribution network serving 11 million customers.
We also have interests in related markets, including metering services, liquefied natural gas facilities and property in the UK, as well as electricity interconnectors in the UK and US.
www.nationalgrid.com
National Grid Grain LNG
National Grid Grain LNG, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Grid, owns and operates the UK’s first truly commercial LNG importation terminal, playing an important role in securing UK gas supply. Commissioned in July 2005, the terminal is at present able to provide 3.3 million tonnes of LNG capacity per annum.
LNG is essentially the gas used in homes and business, which has been chilled to -161 degrees centigrade into a liquid state. Liquefied Natural Gas takes up 600 times less space than in its gaseous form which makes it an ideal way of storing and transporting large volumes of natural gas from diverse sources such as Algeria, Trinidad and the Middle East. Stored at these low temperatures, LNG will not burn as a liquid and has a good safety record.
Further information available at www.nationalgrid.com/grainlng
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