National Grid : to dismantle four gas holders on Merseyside

16 Jan 2018

• National Grid dismantles four gasholders at Spofforth Road, Wavertree
• Holders not used since 2009 as new technique now used to store gas
• Work part of a national programme to clear sites for future development

Work to dismantle four gasholders on the National Grid site in Wavertree gets underway next week.

The gasholders once played an essential role in making sure local homes had a reliable gas supply. They were filled with gas during times of low demand so that they could feed into the local network of pipes at times of peak demand.

Now, new techniques developed by National Grid allow gas to be compressed and stored inside gas pipes. This means that the old holders are no longer needed and can be removed to free up the site for potential future development.

Chris Taylor, National Grid Project Manager said: 'National Grid is committed to finding new ways of making better use of the assets and equipment it owns and operates. The old holders have served the area well but we have developed an innovative technique which allows us to store gas in our underground pipes and so we no longer need the vast network of holders we once had.

'Local homes and businesses will still enjoy a safe and reliable gas supply, but we will now be able to dismantle the holders and clear the site ready for it to be reused. In some locations, former gasholder sites have formed a key part of major local regeneration plans.

'Removing the holders will be a complex job, but we will use highly skilled engineers to carry out the work. We'll keep local residents and businesses informed as our work progresses.'

For more information on the project, contact National Grid's Community Relations Team on 0800 8199 071 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday or email nationalgrid@wavertreegasholders.co.uk