Grain LNG Terminal

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Grain LNG Terminal, also known as Isle of Grain LNG Terminal, is an LNG import terminal in United Kingdom with units that are operating and in construction.

Location

Table 1: Location details

Name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Expansion	Isle of Grain, Kent, United Kingdom	51.45107, 0.67987 (exact)
Grain LNG Terminal (base project)	Isle of Grain, Kent, United Kingdom	51.45107, 0.67987 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the terminal:

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Project Details

Table 2: Infrastructure details

mtpa = million tonnes per year

Name	Facility type	Status	Capacity	Total terminal capacity	Offshore	Associated infrastructure
Expansion	import	construction	8.7 mtpa	23.0 mtpa	False	–
Grain LNG Terminal (base project)	import	operating	14.3 mtpa	23.0 mtpa	False	–

Table 3: Cost

Name	Facility type	Cost	Total known terminal costs
Expansion	import	US$218,000,000 (200,000,000 EUR)	US$218,000,000
Grain LNG Terminal (base project)	import	–	US$218,000,000

Financing

No financing data available.

Table 4: Project timeline

FID = Final Investment Decision, used by some developers to indicate a project will move forward

Name	Facility type	Status	Proposal year	FID year	Construction year	Operating year	Inactive year
Expansion	import	construction	2014	–	2022	–	–
Grain LNG Terminal (base project)	import	operating	–	–	–	2005	–

Ownership

Table 5: Ownership

Name	Facility type	Status	Owners	Parent companies	Operator
Expansion	import	construction	Energy Capital Partners Management LP [50%]; Centrica PLC [50%]	Centrica PLC [50.0%]; Bridgepoint Group PLC; natural person(s)	Grain LNG
Grain LNG Terminal (base project)	import	operating	Energy Capital Partners Management LP [50%]; Centrica PLC [50%]	Centrica PLC [50.0%]; Bridgepoint Group PLC; natural person(s)	Grain LNG

Background

Grain LNG Terminal is an LNG terminal on the Isle of Grain near Rochester in Kent, UK.

Grain LNG Terminal is located on the site of an oil refinery that was decommissioned in 1984. The site was subsequently used as a storage site that would withdraw natural gas from NTS, liquify it, and store it onsite at four, 50,000 m³ storage tanks. The facility was utilized for peak shaving, capable of liquifying stored natural gas and providing it into NTS as needed.

Phase 1

Between 2002 and July 2005, the site was converted from a peak shaving facility into an import terminal capable of accepting 3.3mtpa of imported LNG. A jetty, cryogenic pipeline, and ancillary equipment were constructed as part of the conversion.

Phase 2

In December 2008, three 190,000 m³ storage tanks were commissioned, increasing the facility's capacity by an additional 6.5mtpa.

Phase 3

In December 2010, a second LNG unloading jetty and one additional 190,000 m³ storage tank were commissioned, increasing the facility's capacity by an additional 5mtpa.

In October 2024, Grain LNG announced that it was the first LNG facility in the world to undergo MiQ's certification, receiving a 'B' for the methane emissions performance of its operations.

Opposition

Opposition groups have called into question the necessity of such extensive LNG infrastructure, citing the low utilization rates of the UK's operating LNG import terminals. According to Food and Water Europe's 2019 UK gas profile, "The £250m Dragon LNG terminal in Wales, UK is an exceptional case as the average utilisation rate for the project seems to have been 0 for the last decade. This project has been undergoing 'planned maintenance' work and doesn't appear to supply the UK with gas. Without taking Dragon into account, the average LNG utilization rate of UK LNG terminals stood at only 22% between January 2012 and March 2019, with Dragon LNG even less (~14%)."

Further Expansion

Phase 4

Possible expansion of the Grain LNG facility is under consideration. Grain LNG is inviting bids through its Phase 4 Open Season capacity sale process, with up to 6 mtpa of additional capacity available. As of 2018, there were no expansion development updates since 2014 and the project was then presumed to be cancelled.

An additional 200,000 m³ storage tank and associated regasification facilities will be constructed in Grain. The expansion will be completed by mid-2025 and will add an additional 3.8 mtpa of regasification capacity. By then, total storage will increase to 1.2 million m³ and total regasification capacity will reach 18.8 mtpa. In January 2021, French company VINCI Construction was contracted to build the expansion project. Qatar Terminal Limited, an affiliate of Qatar Petroleum, has agreed storage and redelivery capacity at the Grain Terminal for 25 years from mid-2025. Through a deal agreed in October 2020, the company secured up to 7.2 mtpa of the terminal's future throughput capacity.

As of November 2022, the expansion project is under construction, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe's LNG Import Terminals database.

In February 2024, Grain LNG and Venture Global signed a long-term terminal use agreement under which Venture Global will be able to use 3 mtpa of storage and regasification capacity at the terminal for 16 years, beginning in 2029.

In May 2024, it was reported that National Grid was looking to sell Grain LNG Terminal as it shifts its focus to domestic energy networks.

According to the annual GIIGNL report released in June 2024, construction on the expansion was ongoing and on track for a July 2025 launch. GIIGNL reports that the expansion will increase the facility's total regasification capacity to 23 mtpa, suggesting it will add about 8.7 mtpa rather than 3.8 mtpa (as it has stated in the past).

Expansion work was still underway as of late 2024, according to the 2025 GIIGNL report.

As of July 2025, CK Infrastructure Holdings Ltd and a consortium including Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System were the final bidders for the sale of Grain LNG by National Grid, which has been looking to sell the facility for at least a year. National Grid was hoping to reach a deal with a potential buyer by August. According to Bloomberg, "Selling the Grain LNG terminal is part of National Grid’s plans to help fund its massive investment program for its net zero push."

In August 2025, Centrica Plc announced that, in a 50-50 partnership with Energy Capital Partners LLP, it would acquire the terminal from National Grid.

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of LNG terminals, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Gas Infrastructure Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.