‘Largest LNG port in Europe’ gets methane emissions certification

Global non-profit methane emissions certification provider MiQ has audited a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant operated by the National Grid Grain LNG, a wholly owned subsidiary of energy transmission and distribution company National Grid.

After certifying the methane emissions of 20% of U.S. natural gas production, MiQ has given a grade of ‘B’ to Grain LNG, describing it as the first LNG port in the world and the first facility outside of North America to receive this certification. Buyers of LNG hailing from what is deemed to be Europe’s biggest LNG terminal will now be able to choose cargoes based on their methane emissions profile.

“This is a major step forward for increasing the transparency of emissions from the global LNG supply chain. The certification of Grain LNG provides UK and European natural gas buyers with additional transparency about the level of emissions from imported LNG. National Grid and Grain LNG have shown true leadership as the first operator to receive certification outside the US,” said MiQ CEO, Georges Tijbosch.

The certification provider says its goal is to help slash methane emissions from the natural gas supply chain during the energy transition by providing a third-party audited and transparent emission-verification system. Thanks to its supply chain protocol framework, natural gas buyers can get what the firm says is a credible estimate of emissions from LNG for the first time. 

Ben Wilson, President of National Grid Ventures, remarked: “As a business right at the heart of the UK’s energy system, our customers, partners and consumers all expect the best possible service from us. As a first mover on methane emissions, this new accreditation is a testament to that service, proving that in the case of Grain LNG we are operating a highly efficient and market-leading site.”

Furthermore, the certification comes at a time when Grain LNG is being expanded to store and deliver enough gas to meet up to 33% of the UK’s gas demand, aiming for 1.2 million tonnes of tank space in 2025 – ten years after the start of operations – compared to the current 1 million.

“At a time when there is rightly increased scrutiny of all emissions, we’re delighted that Grain LNG is the first port of its kind to receive this accreditation,” noted Simon Culkin, Managing Director of Grain LNG. “MiQ’s certification confirms Grain LNG as not only the largest LNG port in Europe, but world class, reflected in our diversity of customers, operational excellence and now methane management.”

Apart from storage capacity, the terminal situated on the UK’s Isle of Grain features unloading infrastructure, regasification equipment, and truck-loading facilities. It has two jetties, the first one being capable of unloading LNG tankers with a 70,000–217,000 cubic meters (cbm) cargo capacity (QFlex) and the second carriers from 125,000 cbm to 266,000 cbm cargo capacity (QMax).

This follows the formal adoption of new rules on methane emissions contained in the EU’s methane regulation. Since U.S. producers have until January 2027 to meet the newly imposed requirements, MiQ believes its certification can help manufacturers meet them in terms of source-level reporting and third-party verification.