Access Focus Area

The Access Focus Area will consider how current NTS Capacity access arrangements may need to evolve in the coming years as the gas landscape continues to change.

The current entry and exit capacity arrangements were developed for an expanding gas transmission network, where long-term auctions would trigger investment on the NTS. In recent years, Users have told us they require more flexible access to the NTS, closely aligning their capacity bookings to their flows. The changing use of the NTS is expected to continue as we transition to hydrogen, and current market arrangements using Capacity as we know it today may not be deemed the most appropriate in the future. When considering future options, the term “capacity” has therefore been replaced by “access” to not presuppose a solution.

Long Term Access Review Project Consultation Report

This consultation builds on the previous consultation, published in January 2020, and has been discussed as part of Balancing and Capacity Gas Markets Plan workshops. It firstly defines a scenario by looking at the anticipated physical characteristics of the NTS by 2030 and what that might mean for User’s behavioural changes. It then uses the ambition statement agreed as part of the January 2020 consultation as a benchmark to develop options and the functions agreed to assess those options against.

The consultation was published in September 2021 and sought industry views on the 2030 scenario and potential solution options for future access arrangements presented within the consultation document. The consultation period closed on 30th November 2021. The consultation document and all non-confidential responses can be viewed below.