Cadent invests £70m to upgrade North West gas network

More than 600 jobs will be secured through the programme, which would help build a greener energy future.

Cadent, which operates half of the UK’s eight gas distribution networks, will be investing £70m into the North West’s gas network this year alone.

More than 450,000 metres worth of gas mains will be upgraded during the period from April 2022 to March 2023. Many of these were installed more than 100 years ago and are therefore nearing the end of their safe operating lives.

The upgrades will keep everything on track to replace fossil gas with hydrogen. This is crucial for Cadent’s plans to provide more renewable energy.

Cadent is already working to build its HyNet North West Hydrogen Pipeline, which has the potential to prevent 10m tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere each year. A consultation on the plan ended last month.

Craig Horrocks, who heads Cadent’s gas mains upgrade work in the region, said the introduction of hydrogen to its gas networks would be “essential to the North West in achieving its targets to reduce carbon emissions.”

Horrocks also highlighted the importance of the gas main upgrades.

“More than 80% of homes in the North West rely on gas for central heating and it’s our job to make sure they get it, safely and reliably, every minute of every day of the year,” he said.

The five key work areas by distance will be Wirral (51,153 metres), Manchester (43,801 metres), Sefton (36,234 metres), Stockport (29,074 metres) and Liverpool (28,523 metres).

Every year, Cadent replaces around 1.5% of its 34,000 kilometres North West underground pipe distribution system. The programme is part of a wider plan spanning 30 years, as the company strives to upgrade ageing metallic mains with plastic. The plan is already two-thirds of the way through, with a completion date of 2032.

Cadent is working with the local highway authorities to agree on the best and least disruptive timings to carry out the upgrades. Once these start dates have been confirmed, any properties impacted or in the vicinity of the work areas will be sent a letter.

Metres of pipe to be upgraded in 2022/2023 by local authority area

• Wirral 51,153 metres
• Manchester 43,801 metres
• Sefton 36,234 metres
• Stockport 29,074 metres
• Liverpool 28,523 metres
• Trafford 26,195 metres
• Warrington 23,749 metres
• Wigan 19,528 metres
• Halton 15,452 metres
• Bolton 14,292 metres
• Knowsley 13,715 metres
• Vale Royal 13,342 metres
• Rochdale 12,639 metres
• Bury 12,137 metres
• Oldham 11,865 metres
• Salford 11,766 metres
• Wyre 10,208 metres
• Barrow in Furness 7,832 metres
• Chorley 7,118 metres
• Fylde 7,074 metres
• South Ribble 6,798 metres
• Lancaster 5,454 metres
• Blackburn and Darwen 5,019 metres
• Blackpool 4,921 metres
• Burnley 3,975 metres
• Rossendale 3,687 metres
• West Lancashire 3,558 metres
• Pendle 3,418 metres
• Ellesmere Port and Neston 3,388 metres
• Ribble Valley 3,145 metres
• Preston 3,066 metres
• St Helens 2,675 metres
• South Lakeland 2,645 metres
• Tameside 2,365 metres
• Copeland 2,291 metres
• Macclesfield 2,083 metres
• Hyndburn 2,059 metres
• Chester 1,750 metres
• High Peak 281 metres
• Crewe & Nantwich 249 metres