Consultation on the new infrastructure backbone of the Humber’s heavy industry decarbonisation plans is about to launch.
The low carbon dual pipelines set to transport greenhouse gases to North Sea storage while also supplying hydrogen to enable fuel-switching are to be put before the public. Stretching from Drax to Easington, sweeping below Goole, Scunthorpe and Brigg before a new crossing of the Humber from Killingholme to Saltend and out to the coast, thousands of new jobs are anticipated in what would be a staggering feat of engineering, while securing tens of thousands more at the locations it will serve.
The wider project is a government forerunner in carbon capture deployment, with the transportation system the lynchpin for what the Zero Carbon Humber and wider East Coast Cluster proposals set out to achieve, having been billed as making the Energy Estuary a world leader. Success is seen as driving the region forward as a competitive, climate-friendly hub for industry and innovation - with £15 billion of investment allied to the scheme from more than a dozen projects.
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National Grid Ventures, leading on what is known as Humber Low Carbon Pipelines, is due to launch the consultation on Monday, October 31 - with publication of the proposed route in detail. It comes as the Humber 2030 Vision is also launched, a prospectus featuring the project, and those that depend on it. They include Drax, SSE, Equinor, British Steel, Triton Power, Ineos, Uniper and Shell and others.
Andy Benjamin, director of carbon capture, usage and storage at National Grid Ventures, said: "This project would provide the critical infrastructure to help protect and create skilled jobs across the Humber and is an important part of the Humber’s economic future.
"It’s vital for us to understand what local people think of our plans, and we look forward to meeting communities along the proposed route to share more about the project, answer questions and receive feedback. We’re encouraging everyone to come to one of the events or visit the website to take part."
Such is the scale and nationally strategic nature of the project, a development consent order would be required, with sign-off from the Secretary of State. It is hoped it would be achieved by 2024, with earliest completion of the mammoth construction project eyed for 2026.
The consultation will also feature the above ground infrastructure that will be required along the route and details of potential environmental impacts and management plans.
It will include drop-in events across the region for members of the public, with further information presented on a dedicated project website and in libraries.
Residents, landowners, businesses, organisations and others are invited to give written feedback ahead of the November 29 deadline. The first stage of the consultation was held last year and the plans have been informed by feedback received during that period, alongside technical studies. It opted for the southern strand of several routes put forward.
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