Ineos gas storage plans enter statutory consultation
Keuper Gas Storage, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ineos Enterprises Group, is launching statutory consultation on proposals to construct and operate an underground gas storage facility in Cheshire.
The proposed Keuper Gas Storage Project would involve using specially designed underground salt cavities – created through solution mining – to store natural gas. Delivery of KGSP will represent a significant investment in the local economy, provide a long-term brine supply to meet the needs of existing customers and assist the UK in achieving security of energy.
The statutory consultation started this week and is due to close on 27 November.
Earlier this year, members of the community and other stakeholders were encouraged to have their say on the proposed KGSP as part of non-statutory consultation on the proposal. A series of information days and a stakeholder workshop were held in May and June to seek feedback from local residents and stakeholders on the proposed development. Since then, the feedback has been assessed by the project team and compiled into an interim consultation report, which can be downloaded at www.kgsp.co.uk.
Greg Stewart, director of Ineous Enterprises, said: "The feedback we received during the first stage of consultation has been extremely helpful as we develop our plans for further underground gas storage in Cheshire. Following consultation with local residents, and further project design work, we have made a number of changes to the proposals, including amending five of the cavity locations and proposing additional planting.
"We are holding further information days during October and hope that local residents will take the opportunity to view the revised plans. The project would help secure a flexible supply of energy in the UK as well as providing investment and jobs for Cheshire."
The majority of the development will take place within the Holford Brinefield, which will include all of the proposed gas storage cavities. Other, smaller aspects of development will include two new brine tanks on the Lostock Works site and the refurbishment of the existing Whitley Pumping station. At Runcorn, the development will involve extending an existing pipeline located at the main INEOS ChlorVinyls site.
As part of the statutory consultation, KGSL is holding another round of information days at the following times and locations:
- Tuesday 14 October, 2-8pm Lostock Community Centre, Stubbs Lane, Lostock Gralam, Northwich, CW9 7PU
- Thursday 16 October, 2-8pm Byley Village Hall, Moss Lane, Middlewich, CW10 9NG
- Monday 20 October, 2-8pm Lach Dennis Village Hall, Holmes Chapel Road, Lach Dennis, Northwich, CW9 7SZ
- Tuesday 21 October, 2-8pm Whitley Village Hall, Village Lane, Higher Whitley, Warrington, WA4 4EJ
- Thursday 23 October, 2-8pm Pavilions Club, Sandy Lane, Weston Point, Runcorn, WA7 4EX
Ineos employs 1,200 people in Cheshire. KGSP would create 30 jobs once operational, along with employing 300 people during construction.
As the proposal is for important energy infrastructure, KGSP is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, which means that Keuper Gas Storage will be required to submit an application for a Development Consent Order to the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change. As part of the DCO application process a period of statutory consultation is required. The first stage of consultation undertaken earlier this year was non-statutory or informal. The current stage of consultation is statutory, as required by the Planning Act 2008 for NSIPs.
If successful, the project would commence in 2017 and could be operational from 2020 onwards.
- Local residents can submit their views on the proposal via email, post or by completing the feedback form on the project website www.kgsp.co.uk ; phone: freephone 0800 1777 250 (During office hours Mon-Fri); email: info@kgsp.co.uk; post: Freepost RSKS-SBBE-LHHZ, Keuper Gas Storage Project, c/o PPS Group, Hanover House, 30-32 Charlotte Street, Manchester, M1 4FD
