Unite urges Labour to nationalise Rough gas storage facility

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 15 Oct, 15:20 · Archive

Trade union Unite has urged Labour to consider nationalising the Rough gas storage facility, saying its closure would threaten hundreds of jobs.

Trade union Unite has urged Labour to intervene to prevent the closure of Rough, Britain's biggest gas storage facility. The union is calling for the Government to consider nationalising the site if no funding deal can be reached with operator Centrica. The facility currently accounts for around half of the UK's gas storage capacity.

Rough is a converted depleted gas field located 18 miles off the Yorkshire coast. Centrica, which operates the facility, has said it will not seek to continue production beyond April 2027. The company has a £2 billion redevelopment scheme ready to expand the facility but is demanding Government guarantees to ensure the expansion is economically viable. Specifically, Centrica wants a 'cap and floor' pricing mechanism that guarantees minimum earnings but limits maximum returns.

Centrica's chief executive Chris O'Shea said a revamped facility would bolster UK energy security, lower the country's exposure to volatile prices and support jobs. The company has stated that without the expansion work, the 'important strategic asset' is at the limit of what it can deliver. The Government has previously said it is open to discussions but that the expansion remains a commercial decision for Centrica.

How it is being reported

• Trade union Unite urges Labour to consider nationalising 'essential' Rough gas storage facilityTrade union Unite has urged Labour to consider nationalising Britain's Rough storage facility saying its closure would hit hundreds of jobs and make it harder to keep the lights on.Daily Mail · 15 Oct, 15:54
• Labour urged to stop Britain’s biggest gas storage facility from closing with 450 jobs at riskLabour must intervene to stop Britain’s biggest gas storage facility from closing, Unite the Union has said. It should even consider nationalising the Rough storage site if no deal on funding can be reached, said the union, which has more than one million members. Rough, a depleted gas field that has been converted for storage, lies 18 miles off the Yorkshire coast. It accounts for around half of the UK’s gas storage capacity, but operator Centrica have said it will not seek to continue production beyond April 2027. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The threat of closure "was endangering jobs…GB News · 15 Oct, 14:33
• Trade union Unite urges Labour to consider nationalising 'essential' Rough gas storage facilityTrade union Unite has urged Labour to consider nationalising Britain's Rough storage facility saying its closure would hit hundreds of jobs and make it harder to keep the lights on.This is Money · 15 Oct, 13:06

In this story: Unite · Labour · Rough · Centrica · Yorkshire · UK

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