Hull: Firm fined £225k for venting gas without consent

BBC
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A gas company has been fined £225,000 for venting 59 tonnes of gas without consent from its processing plant in Hull.

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) said the fine for Perenco was the "highest ever penalty" it had handed out.

Perenco produces natural gas and operates terminals in Dimlington and Bacton in East Anglia.

The company said it "acknowledges its failure" to obtain consent to vent gas.

From 1 January until 31 December 2022, Perenco had permission to vent 235 tonnes of gas but exceeded that limit on 6 November.

It then vented a further 59 tonnes of gas until a new consent was issued on 14 December 2022.

NSTA said there was an "absence of internal mechanisms" within Perenco's systems to ensure any risks tracking daily volumes of gas were actioned.

The authority said it "aims to eliminate unnecessary or wasteful flaring and venting of gas" by working with the industry to reduce emissions.

It said the "central objective" of the financial penalty in this case was deterrence, with the penalty being set at "a sufficient level to reflect this and the seriousness of the breach as well as Perenco's delayed engagement with the NSTA in the lead-up to identifying that a breach had occurred".

'Firm action'

Jane de Lozey, NSTA Director of Regulation, said: "Operating within consent and prompt engagement with the NSTA helps maintain confidence in the sector. However, as today's fine demonstrates, we will take firm action for any failures to meet regulatory obligations."

A spokesperson for Perenco said: "Perenco is disappointed to learn of the level of fine imposed by the NSTA for an unintentional exceedance of its 2022 annual vent consent, although consent was ultimately obtained towards the end of 2022 covering the excess volumes vented in the latter part of that year.

"Perenco acknowledges its failure to obtain consent in a timely manner and has put in place measures to prevent this from happening again."

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