31 May 2011 12:14
First gas injected into Holford storage caverns

E.ON's gas storage project at Holford has reached a major construction and commissioning milestone with the first gas being introduced into the underground storage caverns.

The project is on track for commercial operations of the first caverns to begin towards the end of 2011, with the remaining caverns becoming commercially available to store gas by 2013.

Gas will be injected into each cavern over a four month long process which sees the gas replace the brine created by the solution mining process. Once the conversion process is completed, the caverns will become commercially available for the flexible storage of natural gas.

Commenting on the progress being made Mike Cooper, Holford Project Manager, E.ON Gas Storage UK said: "The need for increased gas storage in the UK is well documented and Holford will have a crucial role to play in the UK's energy infrastructure. Not only have we a highly skilled team here on-site already but we are able to draw on the considerable knowledge of E.ON Gas Storage who have over 30 years experience in the development and operation of salt cavity gas storage across Europe."

"For the past two and a half years we've been carrying out solution mining which has involved pumping water into the caverns in the salt layer suitable for storing natural gas. The first injection of gas really is an exciting achievement and a major milestone for everyone involved with the project."

The onsite gas processing plant commenced commissioning in early 2011. Work will continue to fully prepare the underground storage caverns ahead of first commercial operations towards the end of 2011. When fully complete the Holford gas storage facility will have capacity of up to 156 million cubic meters.

Ends

Notes to editors:

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, and retailing power and gas - and is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. We employ around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 85,000 worldwide;
• E.ON Gas Storage UK is responsible for the development, construction and operation of E.ON's gas storage projects in the UK to meet the needs of the E.ON business and the wider UK gas market.
• E.ON's Energy Solutions business supplies power and gas to over 5 million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers across the country. With customers at its heart, Energy Solutions also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers' needs. The business is designed to help customers become energy fit by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even to generate their own power through microgeneration systems such as ground source heat pumps and solar panels for both homes and businesses;
• The generation business produces enough electricity to cater for the needs of around eight million homes from a portfolio of world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations;
• We're one of the leading green generators in the UK, with 21 wind farms located from Cambridgeshire to Kintyre.

For more information contact:

Scott Somerville on 02476 183 438