UK’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports in the first quarter of 2022 reached the highest level recorded over a decade.
The latest data published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy shows that the amount of LNG imported to the UK increased by almost 50% in the first three months of the year.
The UK holds the second-largest LNG regasification infrastructure in Europe, with the largest
being in Spain.
The UK has acted as a gateway for gas to enter European pipelines and meet demand, as countries moved away from importing Russian gas.
The report suggests LNG imported from Russia fell by 68% compared to the same period last year as the UK looks to phase out Russian imports.
BEIS statistics also show that gas exports substantially increased in the first quarter as UK regasification infrastructure was used to feed European gas supply.
Exports more than doubled, driven by a rise in pipeline exports to Belgium and the Netherlands.
As these interconnectors are bidirectional, their increased utilisation for exports led to a corresponding fall in imports.
This resulted in an 11% reduction in total imports to the UK.
