Responsibilities
The gas that we transport is crucial to Great Britain. It ensures families can live in comfort, businesses can grow, and national economies can prosper. That is why BBL Company acts with the greatest degree of responsibility. We take care of the health and safety of our employees and the local communities in which we operate, as well as the protection of the environment.
Our work is also closely regulated. We adhere to Dutch and GB laws, as well as a treaty between both countries that governs various operational issues. Our regulatory framework is derived from the EU’s third gas directive and we are monitored by the GB and Dutch regulators (ACM and Ofgem).
HSE
Health, safety and the environment (HSE) are priorities for us, because our performance in these areas determines whether our stakeholders have confidence in us and whether we can continue to exist. That is why we take a systematic approach to identifying, reducing and controlling HSE risks. Our goal is to have a first-class HSE performance that we can be proud of.
Our employees and contractors adhere to stringent safety standards. We strive to prevent accidents, serious incidents, and damage to our facilities, and to reduce the impact of our business operations on the environment. HSE matters are managed as any other critical business activity and HSE performance is frequently reported to the company’s leadership, allowing it to intervene when needed.
Regulations
BBL Company operates the BBL pipeline in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. A treaty concluded between Great Britain and the Netherlands governs how both countries work together on issues such as health, safety, the environment and taxation.
The regulatory framework for the BBL follows from the third EU Gas Directive, which was adopted in 2009. This directive supports the further harmonisation of European energy markets and defines amongst other things the legal and regulatory aspects of network access conditions. These conditions have been incorporated into codes by the European Network for Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG), of which BBL Company is a member. This organisation sets rules for gas market integration and system operation and development, covering subjects such as capacity allocation, network connection, tariffs, balancing rules and operational security. The national regulatory authorities in Great Britain (Ofgem) and the Netherlands (ACM) regulate BBL Company.
Furthermore, the third EU Gas Directive requires a clear separation between the production and supply of natural gas on the one hand and network operations on the other. This is to prevent the risk of discrimination in the operation of the network and to ensure independence. ACM and Ofgem have both certified BBL Company as meeting the requirements of independence from natural gas suppliers and producers.
BBL Company has regulations (‘BBL Company V.O.F. Non-discrimination Regulations’) that guarantee that BBL Company customers are treated equally. Gasunie's Code of Conduct and Speak up policy also applies to BBL Company. The Speak up policy (‘Whistleblower Regulations’) concerns the manner in which potential abuses can be reported and all our employees declare in writing that they agree with the obligation to comply with the regulations. The Code of Conduct describes rules of conduct for employees regarding company policy, individual rules of conduct and compliance with them.