CIA welcomes UK focus on gas and energy security

17 May 2006 18:03  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--The UK Chemical Industries Association (CIA) on Wednesday welcomed government support for new gas storage facilities and renewal of the country’s nuclear generation capacity.

The trade group said it was heartened by a series of government announcements recognising the significance of security of energy supply and related price concerns in the UK.

The CIA was responding to Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling's appeal on Tuesday to planning authorities to be more mindful of the national interest when considering applications for new gas storage facilities. Darling had also announced the creation of a Business Energy Forum to address urgent energy concerns for the coming winter, while Prime Minister Tony Blair had expressed government support for new nuclear power stations.

"Secure, competitively priced energy supplies are vital to the future of chemical manufacturing in this country and we see nuclear energy as an essential component of a diversified, low carbon energy supply mix for the long term future," CIA chief executive Stephen Elliott commented.

"As the UK's natural resources decline we are becoming more reliant on other sources of gas to meet our national needs. The CIA welcomes the considerable investment being undertaken to enable new supplies to reach our shores,” he added.

“However, last winter taught us that this import capacity is not always fully utilised. It is therefore essential that the UK rapidly increases its gas storage capabilities to ensure all demand, both domestic and industrial, can be met even when import flows to the UK are restricted," he said.

The CIA said it would participate in the Business Energy Forum. “In doing so it seeks to agree solutions to the pressing issues regarding the UK's current uncompetitive position, as recently identified by the Energy Intensive Users Group,” it said in a statement.

By: Nigel Davis
+44 20 8652 3214

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