Flogas Britain, one of the UK’s leading liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) suppliers, has completed the ‘gas-up’ phase of commissioning on what will become the nation’s largest above ground LPG storage terminal, with the capacity to store 34,564 tonnes of LPG.
The project, which has converted the former National Grid LNG (liquefied natural gas) facility at Avonmouth, Bristol, will significantly increase Flogas’ LPG storage capability, improving the UK’s off-grid gas infrastructure, and providing greater security of supply to commercial and residential customers nationwide, as demand grows through energy transition.
Flogas Britain has committed a significant investment in the facility to support the decarbonisation strategy for UK off-grid homes, and commercial customers nationwide.
Full takeover of the site from principal contract TGE Gas Engineering is expected to be achieved this Summer, with the plan to commence operational supply to customers from this coming winter 2023.
The project comes at a critical time, facilitating the crucial role LPG plays in transitioning the UK’s off-grid businesses and homes from high carbon fossil fuels to an efficient low carbon alternative.
The new Avonmouth facility is in line with Flogas’ 2040 vision to build a lower carbon future for off-grid homes and businesses. The site will be “bio-ready” from the outset, capable of storing bioLPG, a chemically-identical, renewable alternative to LPG. As a ‘drop in’ fuel, bioLPG can be blended with or replace LPG, without the need for changes to infrastructure, boilers, or equipment.
Ivan Trevor, Flogas Britain’s Managing Director, said “The commissioning of our Avonmouth facility is a significant milestone on our journey to de-carbonise our supply and supports the DCC Energy division’s wider strategy to reduce our overall emissions.”
Paul Horton, Flogas Britain’s Chief Operating Officer, added “This project will deliver an essential source of supply and security of product in particular to customers and our depots within the South West region. It is an essential part of our strategic plan to provide resilience in customer service and future-proofs our energy transition with the ability to store bioLPG.”
Commenting further on the project Horton added: “We will continue our investment strategy in the facility with a view to build a 6km pipeline to connect the terminal to Bristol Port, allowing Flogas Britain to import renewable sources of liquid fuels into the UK. In addition to our investment in the Teesside terminal which is due into service later this year, the future is incredibly bright for Flogas Britain, and in turn the support we are able to provide for our customers’ journey to net zero.”
Markus Ecker, Chief Technical Officer at TGE Gas Engineering, said: “We are proud that we were able to carry out this important EPC order for our customer Flogas and are pleased to have contributed to this plant conversion, which is a template and a milestone for future similar projects. We thank Flogas for the trust they have placed in us!”