Rough: Britain’s largest gas storage site to reopen ‘within months’

Rough: Britain’s largest gas storage site to reopen ‘within months’

Rough, the UK’s largest gas storage site which controversially closed in 2017, is to “reopen within months” according to a report.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is in talks with owner Centrica on the plans, according to The Telegraph, which would cost roughly £2 billion.

It’s comes as some six million households across the country reportedly face blackouts this winter, with the government drawing up plans for rationed electricity.

Restarting Rough off the east coast of England would allow Britain to store 10 days of supply ahead of what is expected to be a difficult winter.

Russia has been switching off supply to countries like Poland and Bulgaria, and with the winter ahead it is feared it may cut off other parts of Europe, further increasing demand and prices.

Industry has been arguing the case to reopen Rough; Professor John Underhill of Aberdeen University said in March that the issue of storage “really needs to be centre stage”.

A key sticking point is how the scheme will be paid for, with the Telegraph reporting Centrica’s concerns that it will only be viable with state support.

Centrica shut down Rough in 2017 because it had become too expensive without that support – the site previously accounted for 70%