OrganisationGB

National Gas

UK gas transmission system operator (former National Grid Gas).

Last refreshed: 18 May 2026

Key Question

If Britain is exporting gas to Europe this summer, who is filling the Centrica Rough gap?

Common Questions

What is National Gas and what does it do?: National Gas (formerly National Grid Gas Transmission) operates Britain's high-pressure gas transmission network. It is a regulated monopoly infrastructure operator, not a gas producer or retailer. It publishes seasonal outlooks on GB gas supply and demand.Source: National Gas
Why is Britain exporting gas to Europe in summer 2026?: National Gas's 2026 Summer Outlook says GB summer supply is dominated by UKCS and Norwegian imports (86% of total), giving Britain a physical surplus relative to domestic summer demand that can flow to the continent via the IUK and BBL interconnectors.Source: National Gas 2026 Summer Outlook
What happened to Centrica Rough gas storage in 2026?: Centrica Rough's seasonal operating mandate expired on 30 April 2026. As of May 2026, no successor arrangement has been confirmed for the 2026-27 storage year, leaving the UK's largest gas storage facility in an unresolved post-mandate status.Source: National Gas 2026 Summer Outlook
When was National Grid Gas Transmission renamed to National Gas?: National Grid Gas Transmission was rebranded as National Gas following its acquisition by a Macquarie-led consortium in 2023, completing the operational separation from National Grid plc.Source: National Gas

Background

National Gas is the operator of Britain's high-pressure gas transmission network — the National Transmission System (NTS) — rebranded from National Grid Gas Transmission following its acquisition by a Macquarie-led consortium in 2023 and operational separation from National Grid plc. Its 2026 Summer Outlook, published in May 2026, made a counterintuitive forecast: GB will be a net exporter of gas to continental Europe this summer, despite EU storage stress . The outlook cites UKCS (UK Continental Shelf) plus Norwegian imports providing 86% of GB summer supply, giving Britain a physical surplus relative to domestic summer demand.

National Gas operates the NTS as a common carrier, transporting gas on behalf of shippers between supply entry points (LNG import terminals, North Sea entry, Norwegian interconnector) and the distribution network. It also operates the Interconnector UK (IUK) and BBL Pipeline connections to continental Europe, through which GB-to-EU exports physically flow. The company is not a gas producer, purchaser, or retailer; it is a regulated monopoly infrastructure operator licensed by Ofgem. The Summer Outlook is its primary seasonal planning publication, used by shippers and the broader market to calibrate GB gas balance assumptions.

The Outlook's GB-exports-to-Europe forecast sits against a complicating backdrop: Centrica Rough's seasonal operating mandate expired on 30 April 2026 with no confirmed successor arrangement for the 2026-27 storage year . Rough is the UK's largest gas storage facility; its post-mandate status is unresolved as of the May 2026 briefing window. A summer export posture from GB that is predicated on Norwegian pipeline supply maintaining its 86% contribution is a single-source dependency that the EU winter storage stress (18.7 pp deficit) will test in Q4 if Norwegian volumes disappoint.

Source Material

Ofgem National Gas

How the World Sees Them

Norway

Norwegian supply representing 86% of GB summer gas creates a bilateral concentration that mirrors EU's reliance on US LNG. National Gas's outlook depends on Equinor and Norwegian producers (including Hammerfest LNG, whose 10 July return remains unconfirmed) maintaining output.

European Union

GB summer exports to the continent provide marginal relief to EU storage injection at a time when the EU aggregate pace has slowed to 0.18 pp/day against a 0.53 pp/day target. The IUK and BBL interconnectors become more strategically relevant if TTF remains above EUR 50 through injection season.

United Kingdom

National Gas's export forecast signals a GB gas balance that is more comfortable than the EU aggregate picture. UKCS and Norwegian supply dominance at 86% gives Britain a structural advantage over continental storage-dependent markets in summer 2026, though this advantage narrows sharply if Norwegian volumes disappoint or Rough's storage role disappears.