British Gas-owner Centrica is buying one of the biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in the UK for £1.7bn, extending the firm's control of the country's energy supplies. National Grid is selling Grain LNG to Centrica and private equity firm Energy Capital Partners to allow it to focus on its electricity and gas networks.

Centrica and Energy Capital Partners have acquired the UK’s largest LNG import terminal, Grain LNG, from National Grid for $2 billion, bolstering Centrica's critical energy infrastructure portfolio.

British Gas owner Centrica and Energy Capital Partners are in talks to buy the Isle of Grain LNG terminal from National Grid in a deal valued at about 1.5 billion pounds ($2.03 billion), the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.