Introducing National Gas’s East Region 

We have recently decentralised our operational model through three regions – East, West, and the North and Scotland - placing our operational presence right in the heart of the communities we serve.  

Our local-first operating model places our operational presence right at the heart of the communities we serve. This will allow our teams to be agile, especially when it comes to maintaining our assets. By localising our maintenance activities, we will drive efficiency in the way we maintain our assets and develop relationships with local businesses and contractors to effectively support our needs.  

Our East region consists of Cambridgeshire, Essex, Kent, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, and Suffolk. We have seven different sites with 20 compressors and a gas terminal in Bacton on the Norfolk coast, where a third of Britain’s gas supply enters the country. The terminal imports gas from the Southern North Sea and is connected to the Netherlands and Belgium through interconnector pipelines, importing and exporting gas to Continental Europe.  

 Peterborough: The new regional hub for the East Region  

Peterborough is a vital site in Britain’s gas network, and now home to the East region’s head office.  

The compressor station has received significant investment to upgrade the three units on the outskirts of the city. These industrial versions of jet engines are part of the National Transmission System (NTS) that keeps 99% of Britain’s gas moving, transporting up to five times more energy than the electricity network across the country. 

After more than half-a-century, Peterborough’s Rolls-Royce Avon jet engines, housed in the red towers, will be retired over the coming years. We’ve since introduced two new cleaner, more efficient, gas turbines, with a third in early stages of construction approvals. These new turbines usher in a new chapter in energy as they’re more efficient, generate less emissions and are compatible with both methane and blends of hydrogen.   

Former Industry Minister Sarah Jones visited Peterborough’s Compressor Station in 2025 to mark a £350 million investment in National Gas’s hydrogen-ready infrastructure across the UK, alongside local MPs Andrew Pakes and Sam Carling to upgrade the compressors.  

The new equipment will ensure National Gas can maintain Great Britain’s energy security – using our world-class NTS to provide gas to major industries, power stations, and businesses around Britain. It will also be future-proofed to deal with the gases of tomorrow – with the new gas compressors ready to compress blends of hydrogen, which can then be transported around the existing NTS. 

Speaking about the investment in Peterborough, East Region Director, Nick Sides, said: 

“Peterborough has long been at the heart of Britain’s gas network. The three red compressors on the city’s outskirts were famously known as ‘the first one on and the last one off’. The introduction of the new compressors signals a change in how National Gas works with and for Cambridgeshire and the wider region. 

“The city and its surrounding have embraced the city's role as host to critical national infrastructure; its importance is now being recognised as the home of the East Region's head office.”