To ask Her Majesty's Government how much natural gas storage there is in the United Kingdom; how many weeks’ supply that represents; how much natural gas storage they anticipate will be built in 2010; and how many extra days’ or weeks’ supply that will represent. [HL5386]

National Grid’s Transporting Britain’s Energy (TBE) consultation document, published in June 2009, reports that there is 4.34 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas storage capacity in GB. A further 0.06 bcm is expected this year. The TBE does not refer to any gas storage facilities commissioning in 2010.

Existing gas storage capacity in GB is equivalent to approximately 16 days of supply. However, the number of days’ gas storage capacity is not by itself a meaningful indicator whether demand can be met, as (unlike most other EU member states) we have access to major indigenous supplies, while we also have substantial capacity to import gas from diverse sources.