How our proposals have developed

Our first, non-statutory consultation: 26 January to 11 March 2022

Earlier in 2022, at our first consultation, we identified a broad route corridor within which the pipeline could be routed and search areas within which our Hydrogen Above Ground Installations (HAGIs) could be located.

You can read the Non-Statutory Consultation Feedback Report via the Knowledge Hub. This sets out in detail how we analysed and responded to feedback received during our first consultation.

Our second, statutory consultation: 12 September 2022 to 10 November 2022.

At our stage of consultation we presented updated proposals, including refined preliminary order limits, within which we identified an indicative pipeline centre line, potential HAGI and BVI sites, and areas we’ll temporarily need for access and construction.

The updated plans we presented were influenced by the feedback we received during our first consultation earlier in 2022, as well as technical, engineering and environmental work.

HAGIs

The majority of our pipeline will be underground. However, we will need around 10 HAGIs at certain points along the pipeline. This includes a Central Hub HAGI, which will act as the central connection point for each of our four pipeline route corridors.

Your feedback and our work since the first consultation earlier in 2022 informed the decision to reduce the number of HAGIs from 12 to around 10. Click here to find out more about HAGIs by reading our latest blog.

Next steps

Once we have developed our final proposals, we will submit an application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate and Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. We expect to submit this application in Autumn 2023.

Our application will include:

A consultation report summarising people’s responses to this consultation and an explanation of how we have taken people’s views into account
An environmental statement setting out the environmental considerations for the project and how we propose to mitigate them.

These documents will also be available on the Knowledge Hub once published.

The Planning Inspectorate will examine our proposals and prepare a report for the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will then make the final decision on our application, which we expect in late 2024.

Interactive map (under review)

This map shows an overview of the proposals we presented at our second, statutory consultation – the area where our pipeline will be routed and temporary construction areas located, as well as potential Hydrogen Above Ground Installation (HAGI) and Block Valve Installation (BVI) locations.

See map

Initial proposals

For more information about how we developed our initial proposals, including assessments of alternative route corridors, read our Design Evolution Report via the Knowledge Hub.

Find out more

Environmental considerations

Our pipeline will bring positive long-term environmental benefits by helping industrial customers across the region to decarbonise their activities. However, any major infrastructure development can create short-term impacts and it’s really important these impacts are identified, avoided, managed and minimised.

To support our second, statutory consultation we published a Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR). This provides the preliminary findings of our environmental assessments, including the likely environmental effects of the project and how they could be mitigated.

You can read our PEIR in full, or access the Non-Technical Summary (NTS), via the Knowledge Hub.

Alternatively, please visit Environmental considerations to find out more.

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