An “equipment failure” has prompted the shutdown of a key UK-EU gas pipeline.

Operator Interconnector Limited has confirmed that natural gas exports from the UK through Belgium to Europe have been halted due to equipment failure.

The link runs from Bacton in the UK to Zeebrugge in Belgium and is considered a vital connection in the supply chain across Europe for the import and export of gas.

It is estimated that the impact of the disruption at the interconnector’s export facilities will be around 27,1GWh and may last until tomorrow, the company said.

It is believed that since the start of the war in Ukraine, the UK was exporting as much as 640GWh per day to Belgium.

Experts expect that Britain’s domestic gas demand will soar in the next couple of days as a result of the cold weather.