UK moves to secure gas flows from Belgium

Britain has taken steps to secure gas supplies ahead of winter after Ofgem approved an agreement to maintain and reinforce gas import capability through the Great Britain‑Belgium interconnector. The deal between Interconnector Limited and National Gas Transmission is designed to prevent a further planned reduction in import capability on the pipeline and to keep this supply option available over coming winters.

The decision follows a period in which the amount of gas import capability available to the British market through continental European interconnectors has fallen. Reduced commercial incentives for imports from Europe and specific technical reductions in interconnector capacity have together constrained how much gas can flow into Great Britain when needed.

The approved agreement covers the undersea pipeline that directly connects Great Britain with Belgium, part of a network of continental interconnectors that can move gas in either direction depending on demand. While these pipelines are used only occasionally to import gas into Great Britain, they are considered an important option during periods of particularly high demand, such as severe winter weather.

By endorsing the arrangements between Interconnector Limited and National Gas, Ofgem has enabled work to reinforce import capability and avoid additional capacity cuts on the Belgium link. The regulator has highlighted the importance of maintaining these gas links as longer‑term changes to the energy system continue.

Under UK legislation, the gas security framework assesses whether sufficient supply capability would remain available in very rare and challenging conditions, including the loss of a major gas supply source combined with a 1‑in‑20 chance of extreme cold weather. Maintaining interconnector import capability through Belgium is intended to strengthen Great Britain’s resilience under such stress scenarios.

Ofgem has stated that Britain’s gas system remains secure and continues to deliver the energy that homes and businesses rely on. The latest action sits alongside broader work by government and the energy sector on further interventions and longer‑term investment aimed at supporting security of supply and wider gas‑system resilience.

Alongside the approval, Ofgem has launched a consultation on proposed licence changes and financial instruments that would allow National Gas to recover the costs of arrangements designed to maintain gas import capability between Great Britain and continental Europe. The consultation opened on 22 October 2026 and is scheduled to close on Friday 20 November 2026.

The proposed regulatory mechanism is focused on Britain’s continental European gas interconnectors, including links to Belgium and the Netherlands, which support flexibility in the gas system. The framework under consultation is intended to provide flexibility to back similar arrangements with other European interconnectors if needed, though any such deals would be assessed separately and require the necessary contractual and regulatory approvals.