Equinor and Centrica have 16 June announced an agreement to deliver additional gas supplies to the UK. The supply agreement will provide further energy security for the UK over the coming three winters.

The new supply agreement adds around 1 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year to Equinor’s existing, bilateral contract with Centrica and brings the total volume under the contract above 10 bcm per year.

With Britain currently importing around a third of its gas requirements from Norway, the announcement underlines the strategic importance of the Norwegian relationship to UK energy security.

“In a period with a challenging geopolitical and macroeconomic environment with strong demand for natural gas, we at Equinor are doing what we can to export as much gas as possible to the market. Equinor is proud to be a long-term, reliable energy partner with both Centrica and the UK, and I am very happy that through this agreement we are able to contribute to the UK securing further energy supply for the coming winters”, says Equinor’s senior vice president Gas & Power, Helge Haugane.

“This agreement is good news for the country and for our customers. At a time where energy security is paramount, I’m delighted that we are able to do our bit to ease the pressure and provide some more certainty ahead of what may be a difficult winter. As Britain’s biggest energy supplier, through British Gas, we take our responsibility to securing supplies for over 8 million domestic and business customers very seriously. This important agreement with Equinor both underpins vital domestic supplies and strengthens the strategic relationship between the UK and Norway”, says Chris O’Shea, Centrica Group Chief Executive.

Equinor every year typically supplies 20-22 bcm of natural gas to the UK which covers over 25 % of UK gas demand.

About Equinor

Equinor (OSE:EQNR, NYSE:EQNR), is an international energy company with a proud history. Formerly Statoil, we are 20,000 committed colleagues developing oil, gas, wind and solar energy in more than 30 countries worldwide. We’re the largest operator in Norway, among the world’s largest offshore operators, and a growing force in renewables. Driven by our Nordic urge to explore beyond the horizon, and our dedication to safety, equality and sustainability, we’re building a global business on our values and the energy needs of the future.

About Centrica

Centrica is a leading international energy services and solutions provider, founded on a 200-year heritage of serving people. Through our two customer-facing divisions, Centrica Consumer and Centrica Business, we supply energy, services and solutions to over 26 million customer accounts. We serve customers across the UK, Ireland, North America and Continental Europe through strong brands such as British Gas, supported by around 13,000 highly trained engineers and technicians. We are focused on satisfying the changing needs of our customers, enabling them to transition to a lower carbon future. Our aim is to reduce emissions in line with the Paris climate goals by 2030 and develop a path to net zero by 2050.

Energy Marketing and Trading is the trading and optimisation arm of Centrica plc. We are a leading provider of energy management and optimisation services to businesses, in addition to managing commodity risk and providing wholesale market access for the Centrica Group. We have over 14GW of capacity under contract in Europe, more than half of which is for renewable assets. We also continue to expand our global LNG business, having built a full range of LNG trading, optimisation and operations capability.