UK LNG Imports Soar in 2019
UK piped gas imports slumped 28% in 2019 to 318 TWh (28.9bn m3), statistics published by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) on March 26 show, while LNG imports more than doubled to 200 TWh (18.5bn m3).
Norway remained the country's top supplier, but its market share shrunk to 57% last year from 72% in 2018. Imports from Belgium and the Netherlands also declined, by 89% and 42% respectively.
LNG shipments climbed to their highest level since 2011, when deliveries surged because of low temperatures and a disruption in Norwegian supplies. Beis attributed the growth last year to weak demand in Asia and new liquefaction capacity coming on stream in Qatar, the US and Russia – the same trends that led to many other European countries significantly increasing their LNG intake.
Qatari supplies tripled in 2019, accounting for 49% of the UK's total LNG imports, while deliveries from the US and Russia doubled. There were also increases from Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria and Peru. The UK imported LNG from Angola and Cameroon for the first time.
Overall gas imports were unchanged at 518 TWh (47.3bn m3). Demand fell by 0.5% to 876 TWh, while production was down 2.2% at 440 TWh. Exports grew by 5.6% to 87.5 TWh.