UK gas dependency to soar without shale

Imports will have to supply over 90% of the UK’s gas by 2035 if the country fails to invest in domestic reserves, such as shale, says a new report

The UK’s National Grid – the country’s power transmission operator – has outlined four potential outlooks for UK energy supply and demand from now until 2050.  In it’s No Progression scenario the report said that if the UK didn’t invest in developing its indigenous gas reserves it would need to import 71 billion cubic metres per year (cm/y) by 2035, leaving imports meeting 91% of consumption. More than 60% of this (43 billion cm) would be made up of either piped gas from continental Europe or imported liquefied natural gas (LNG). However in the Low Carbon Life scenario, which assumes economic prosperity and regulatory certainty, the UK’s gas import dependency could be just 40%. Indigenous s