National Grid : River Humber pipeline replacement project granted planning permission

26 Aug 2016

Yesterday (25/08/16) the development consent order (DCO) was granted to National Grid to build a new tunnel under the River Humber and replace the existing high pressure gas pipeline.

Preliminary work has started on site and we will start the tunnelling work in early 2017. The new pipeline will be placed within a tunnel, underneath the River Humber from Goxhill to Paull, replacing the existing pipeline which lies on the riverbed.

Steve Ellison, National Grid's project manager said: 'This is great news for the project and is the result of years of consultation with the local community and stakeholders. By replacing the pipeline National Grid will continue to deliver a safe and reliable gas network for the UK.

'We would like to thank everyone who took part in the local consultations about our plans which helped shape the proposal.'

Full details of the decision and related documents are available on the Planning Inspectorate website. https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/yorkshire-and-the-humber/river-humber-gas-pipeline-replacement-project/

The pipeline will be the longest gas pipeline in a tunnel, inserted in a single string in Europe.

The three year project is estimated to cost around £150 million, to replace the existing pipeline on the riverbed with a 5km tunnel underneath the river Humber, inserting a single string of 42' steel pipe and connecting into the above ground installations (AGIs) at Goxhill and Paull.

The River Humber pipeline is part of the national transmission system - connecting the import terminal at Easington, on the East Yorkshire coast, to the wider network and delivering gas to millions of customers throughout the UK.

Over time, the tidal patterns of the River Humber have eroded the river bed covering the existing pipeline, leading to parts of it being at risk of being exposed. An innovative short-term engineering solution to protect the pipeline by covering exposed areas was put in place in 2010. Because of the importance of the pipeline, National Grid is now looking to construct a new pipeline in a tunnel underneath the River Humber from the above ground installations (AGIs) at Goxhill, south of the river and Paull, east of Hull, as a long-term replacement.

The pipeline will connect to the existing National Grid AGI sites at Goxhill and Paull and will be 3.36 miles (5.4km) long, of which 3.11 miles (5km) would be tunnelled.

The pipeline will be 42' (1050mm) in diameter and will transport natural gas at a pressure of 70barg.

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