From 14th October to 19th November 2024, Cadent is holding a third round of consultation on its plans for the HyNet North West Hydrogen Pipeline. We are reaching out ahead of the consultation launch to provide you with information on the amended proposals.
The HyNet North West Hydrogen Pipeline will be the UK’s first 100 per cent hydrogen pipeline network at scale. It is essential to unlocking the benefits and ambitions of the HyNet North West programme and achieving the UK’s target of net zero by 2050. The gas network delivers more than twice as much energy in a year as the electricity network and the North West is the biggest user of commercial gas in the UK. It is therefore important to take steps to decarbonise industry which uses the gas network by offering access to hydrogen instead of natural gas. Cadent is committed to doing this safely, efficiently and reliably.
While establishing the region as a hub of innovation and clean growth, the HyNet North West programme will create economic opportunities that will directly benefit the region, including securing existing high-skilled employment and promoting opportunities for new green jobs.
We are developing 100 kilometres of new underground pipeline that will safely transport low carbon hydrogen produced by EET Hydrogen at the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex to various industrial offtakers across the North West.
In early 2022 we undertook our first stage of consultation. We then held a further consultation in autumn 2022 at which more detailed plans, informed by people’s feedback, and further technical, engineering and environmental work were presented. Since then, we’ve been looking at the feedback we received, as well as carrying out more technical work. This has helped us amend our plans.
From 14th October we will present updated plans, including:
- The removal of the Northwich Spur
- New options for the Higher Walton and Partington HAGIs
- Alternative route options avoiding the former Fiddlers Ferry Power Station
- Changes, additions and reductions to the area we are considering.
Information about the amended proposals will be available on our project website from 14th October: www.hynethydrogenpipeline.co.uk.
To publicise the consultation, we’ve sent postcards to almost 18,000 addresses close to the Project and we’ll be advertising in the local press, online and emailing those who have an interest or have registered to be kept up to date with the Project. Please find attached a copy of our postcard which contains details of our consultation and events schedule.
We are holding eight in-person consultation events and two online events. These events are a great way to learn more about our proposals, meet the project team and ask any questions you may have about the Project.
As a representative of a parish council along our proposed route, we would like to invite you to attend a pre-view session 30 minutes in advance of each in-person event. Please get in touch if you would like to attend a pre-view session. Please see below for a full events schedule:
| Venue | Date and time | Address |
| Whitley Village Hall | Wednesday 16 October 2024 4pm to 8pm | Whitley Village Hall, Village Lane, Higher Whitley, Warrington WA4 4EJ. |
| High Legh Village Hall | Thursday 17 October 2024 10am to 1pm | High Legh Village Hall, West Lane, Knutsford, WA16 6LR. |
| Frodsham Community Centre | Thursday 17 October 2024 5pm to 8pm | Frodsham Community Centre, Fluin Lane, Frodsham, WA6 7QN. |
| Thatto Heath Library | Friday 18 October 2024 12pm to 4pm | Thatto Heath Library, Thatto Heath Road, St Helens WA10 3QX. |
| Milner Church Institute | Saturday 19 October 2024 10am to 3pm | The Milner Church Institute, Runcorn Rd, Moore, Warrington WA4 6TX. |
| Westy Community Centre | Monday 21 October 2024 3pm to 6pm | Bridgewater Avenue, Latchford East, Warrington, WA4 1TA. |
| Fuse ROC | Wednesday 23 October 2024 10am to 1pm | The Fuse ROC Centre
Warburton Lane, Partington, Manchester M31 4BU. |
| Davenham Methodist Church Hall | Thursday 24 October 5:30pm to 8:30pm | Davenham Methodist Church Hall. 8, Firth Fields, Davenham. CW9 8JB. |
Further information about the Project
Cadent, the UK’s largest regional gas distributor is currently developing a number of projects to support the decarbonisation of industry and power generation in our regions through the use of hydrogen. The Project is the first of these located in the North West industrial heartland of the UK which will support retaining industry and jobs in the region as well as the UK reaching our Net Zero ambitions.
Cadent intends to make an application to the Secretary of State for a DCO for the Project.
The Project includes the construction, operation and eventual decommissioning of approximately 100km of new pipeline to distribute hydrogen to industry in the North West. A number of Hydrogen Above Ground Installations (HAGIs), including Block Valve Installations (BVIs) are required to control the flow and pressure of hydrogen at key points along the proposed pipeline.
The Project connects the Hydrogen Production Plant (HPP) at the Stanlow site, as the source of low carbon hydrogen, for onward distribution to the network. The pipeline transports the low carbon hydrogen to the Central Hub at the centre of the network, which then serves as the distribution point to the North, East and South pipeline Corridors, which would extend to St. Helens, Partington and Northwich respectively. Branching off from each main pipeline corridor would be smaller pipelines called spurs which connect regional industry to the main pipeline. On the eastern pipeline corridor, alongside industrial connections, infrastructure has also been included which in the future would support the potential for blending low levels of hydrogen into the existing natural gas network, pending a government policy decision. The Project would also link to underground hydrogen storage facilities in Cheshire used to balance supply and demand through the network.
Please email us on info@hynethydrogenpipeline.co.uk or call 0800 860 6261 to get in touch with the team and ask any questions you may have.