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NETWORK / 15 / NOVEMBER 2016 A s the nights draw in and the thermostat gets turned up, now seems like a good time to re ect on the role of gas in the energy mix, and what we are doing in the industry to ensure it has a strong future. Many Network readers see our Winter Outlook Report. The key message is that Great Britain is expected to be well supplied with gas this winter from a variety of sources. Of course that's no reason for complacency, and the picture can always change. My team in Gas System Operations works 24/7 to make certain that gas gets from where it enters the national system to where it is needed. Not only are we keeping an eye on the here and now, but also on the future. That is why I would like to share some of my thoughts about the changing world of gas. Gas is used to heat homes and businesses, and to generate electricity. It is transported from Canvey Island, which I believe had the world's „ rst delivery of lique„ ed natural gas (LNG) by container ship; from indigenous North Sea resources; and through interconnectors from continental Europe. More recently it comes on‹ships from as far away as Qatar and Trinidad and‹Tobago. See the December/ January issue of Network for the fi nal fi ndings from SGN's Opening up the Gas Market project Despite the growth of electric heating, heat pumps and other technological developments, gas remains the fuel of choice for about 90% of our home heating, hot water and cooking, and is vital to the operation of key industries and for power generation. As National Grid's Future Energy Scenarios sets out, gas will be an‹important part of the mix well into the middle of this‹century. In an era of rapid change in the energy sector, those of us in the gas industry cannot simply stand still. We must „ nd ways to make the gas system more e– cient, responsive, secure and environmentally- friendly. This means maximising the use of our existing transmission network where it delivers value for money for consumers. At National Grid, I am proud to lead on a number of innovative programmes. For instance, we have been connecting renewable gas plants to our network and working with the transport sector to understand how the potential deployment of compressed natural gas (CNG) and LNG can reduce the carbon impact of the energy sector. Also, I have been overseeing the introduction of the Gas Control Suite, a modern IT system that lets us provide the physical control and safety capabilities you would expect, but also the ability to respond quickly to our customers and provide greater value for them by making important data available more quickly and e– ciently. Moving with the times, this new system is easily updated and refreshed – replacing an in exible and complex system. Alongside our so™ ware overhaul, we have launched an initiative to fundamentally challenge every aspect of the gas customer connections process, which is a barrier to many of our non-traditional customers connecting to the National Transmission System (NTS). Project CLoCC (customer low-cost connections) brings together three independent elements of the connections process: the initial connection application, the physical connection and the commercial arrangements required to connect. At present a connection can take up to three years and cost up to £2 million, I want to drive these costs and times down signi„ cantly. Cheaper and faster connections encourage potential new entry connections, such as biomethane, and exit connections, such as CNG. We are publishing the 2016 Gas Ten Year Statement and Gas Future Operability Planning (GFOP) on 30 November. The statement outlines how we intend to plan and operate the NTS over the next ten years. The GFOP outlines how our customers' changing requirements will a£ ect the capability of the NTS until 2050. The GFOP is designed to generate industry discussion about future gas transmission needs, operational challenges and uncertainties. So, although my team and I will be focused on managing the winter ahead, it's just as vital that we have our eyes „ rmly „ xed on the longer-term future. ANDREW MALINS HEAD OF NET WORK CAPABILIT Y AND OPERATIONS NATIONAL GRID GAS SYSTEM OPERATOR "We must fi nd ways of making the gas system more effi cient, responsive, secure and environmentally- friendly. This means maximising the use of our existing transmission network where it delivers value for money for consumers." T H E F U T U R E FO R G A S W H AT ' S I N T H E P I P E L I N E ?