Hynet: 60km carbon-capture pipeline running from Cheshire through Flintshire given go ahead

Plans for a massive pipeline to transport CO2 from industrial areas in the North West and North Wales through Deeside, and to store it in depleted gas reservoirs in Liverpool Bay, have been given the green light.

Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho, approved plans submitted by Liverpool Bay CCS Limited for the HyNet Carbon Dioxide Pipeline on Wednesday, March 20.

Spanning 60.4km, the pipeline will extend from Cheshire to Flintshire, incorporating both new construction and the repurposing of existing natural gas pipelines.

About 36.4km of the pipeline will be newly constructed, running at depths between 2.5 and 6 metres underground.

The largest new build section will be between Stanlow and Flint pipeline at 32 km.

Plans also include infrastructure for operation, including Above Ground Installations (AGIs) and Block Valve Stations (BVSs).

The pipeline will be able to transport around 4.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Newbuild carbon dioxide pipeline sections include the Stanlow to Flint pipeline at 32 km.

Around 20 km of an existing natural gas pipeline will be repurposed for transporting carbon dioxide from the Flint Connection to the Point of Ayr Terminal.

Infrastructure developments within Flintshire include two AGIs at Northop Hall and Flint and six BVSs, three along the new Stanlow to Flint pipeline, and three along the existing Flint connection to the Point of Ayr Terminal pipeline.

The HyNet Project, inclusive of the proposed pipeline development, aims to support economic growth by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from industry, homes, and transport.

The Planning Inspectorate gave significant considerations to the routing of the pipeline to minimise the impact on sensitive environmental areas and communities, and measures to mitigate adverse impacts on biodiversity and cultural heritage.

A 41-page letter from the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero consenting to the pipeline addresses the specific issue of crossing the Alltami Brook.

Initially, plans involved digging a trench through the brook – an “open-cut trenched crossing” – but Natural Resources Wales (NRW) warned that this could harm another nearby water body, Wepre Brook.

They said if the project went ahead this way, it would need to meet some special conditions set by the Water Framework Directive—a set of rules aimed at protecting water quality and ecosystems.

However, the evidence provided by Developer Liverpool Bay CCS Ltd didn’t convince NRW that these conditions could be met.

NRW felt the project’s approach wouldn’t protect water quality as required.

Agreeing with NRW, the Examining Authority (ExA)—the group reviewing the project—decided that this approach wasn’t acceptable because it didn’t meet the necessary environmental protections.

To address these concerns, plans now include an “embedded pipe bridge.”

This method involves laying the pipe in a way that it goes over the brook, not through it, which would avoid the risk of harming water quality and meet NRW’s requirements.

This approach also reduces the risk of flooding and respects the environment much better.

The HyNet project is not without its critics, Carolyn Thomas, North Wales Senedd Member and former Deputy Leader of Flintshire County Council, has called the project a ‘political, climate, and economic folly.’

She said: “As part of the plans, miles and miles of Flintshire’s highways and green spaces will be ripped up to allow for the laying of the underground pipeline.”

Ms Thomas said: “The project, subsidised to the tune of tens of millions by the UK taxpayer, will serve to entrench fossil fuel reliance whilst posing a significant safety risk to residents in North Wales living above, and near, the pipeline. To date, barely a single carbon capture scheme worldwide has collected as much carbon as promised.”