A gas supplier has completed the 'gas-up' phase of what will become Britain's biggest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage terminal.
Flogas Britain is behind the plans for the former National Grid facility in Avonmouth, near Bristol, which will be able to store 34,564 tonnes of LPG when finished.
The new facility will increase the company's LPG storage capability, improving the UK's off-grid gas infrastructure, and providing greater security of supply to commercial and residential customers nationwide. Flogas Britain said it has made a "significant investment" in the facility to support the decarbonisation strategy for UK off-grid homes.
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.
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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 Mr 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 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, 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!”
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