Update – 23 February 2024

HyNet North West Hydrogen Pipeline project update

Over the past year we have been conducting work to finalise the pipeline design. This work has been based on feedback we received during public consultation, as well as further technical, environmental, and engineering work. We have also been liaising with stakeholders and carrying out surveying work along the pipeline route to identify points where we believe we can improve the overall design.

Government updates

In December 2023, the Government made several announcements relating to hydrogen and published a Hydrogen Transport and Storage Networks Pathway. You can read more about this here

Project update

We have now had time to consider these announcements further and would like to share with you details on our proposed next steps for the HyNet North West Hydrogen Pipeline Project in-line with the Government’s overall hydrogen strategy. The strategy set outs the next steps for hydrogen transportation projects and is therefore relevant to this Project.

Prior to the Government’s announcements the Project’s Development Consent Order (DCO) application to the Planning Inspectorate, who review the application on behalf of the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, was planned for submission in Spring 2024. However, to ensure the Project remains aligned with Government ambitions and strategy the decision has been made to re-schedule the DCO submission into 2025.

These changes to the project’s timeline maintain alignment with the development of hydrogen storage and Essar Energy Transitions’ Hydrogen Production Plant, from where hydrogen will then be transported by Cadent’s HyNet North West Hydrogen Pipeline and the storage facilities.

Next steps

We have completed a range of environmental surveys and assessments to support the routing of the hydrogen pipeline and will continue to build on this information throughout 2024.

We will also take this opportunity to further progress our stakeholder and landowner discussions, ahead of a further stage of formal public consultation. The timings for our consultation will be confirmed in due course and you will be notified of these.