What to do More Information Lancs County Council Protect Wyre Group Back to TAG
TAG public meeting
Letters and Documents added on 6th April 2004 Letter to WBC Summary of Objections PWG Environmental Concerns
CANATXX GAS STORAGE
Canatxx Gas Storage Ltd (‘Canatxx’) has announced that on Friday 21st November, it submitted to Lancashire County Council (the authority responsible for dealing with this type of application) a planning application and an application for local pipeline consent in respect of its major Gas Storage Project in the Preesall Saltfield.
The application is a comprehensive submission, including the usual form of application but also a substantial and detailed narrative description of the project and its principal elements.
The application is accompanied by extensive plans and diagrams.
In addition to describing the project, the narrative sets out the context in which the application is being made and includes an explanatory chapter covering a number of relevant issues which, though not in the view of Canatxx, strictly pertinent, may be perceived to arise in connection with the application.
So far as possible, given the nature of the subject matter, the narrative is written in readily understandable language so that readers will be able to establish a clear understanding of what is being proposed and why it is being proposed in the particular way chosen by Canatxx.
The narrative also includes a statement of those options which have not been chosen, for environmental and other reasons.
A copy of the Preface to the narrative, which is part of the planning application and gives a brief overview of the proposal was enclosed with a letter sent to Focus By Canatxx and it is printed in its entirety at the end of this article.
Hyder Consulting Ltd were engaged by Canatxx to compile an Environmental Statement which also forms part of the application.
This statement deals with and assess the potential effects of the project across a range of 12 main subject areas, including land use: landscape; ecology; air and water quality; and noise.
Many of these aspects involve detailed consideration of complex issues but for the benefit of the general reader, there is a non-technical summary available.
Canatxx state that it will be for LCC to decide, in practical terms, how the application will be dealt with and, in particular, who, in addition to the statuary consultees, should be invited to comment or make representations on the application.
In preparing the application, Canatxx says it has sought to provide as much information as possible in order that the project can be fully and properly understood.
Canatxx state that interested parties may need clarification or further explanation of aspects of the project and that they will ensure that any such needs are met.
They consider that this will be best achieved if queries and questions are submitted only in written form and they will respond fully in writing.
Should you wish to ask questions of Canatxx you should phone 0870 238 5430 during regular office hours to register your interest and to ask for a form, upon which you can submit your question. This form will be mailed out the next working day.
During January 2004, Canatxx intend to mount a series of exhibitions, for the benefit of the public and interested parties, which will explain and illustrate the project.
The question forms will also be available at these exhibitions.
Copies of the planning application and the Environmental Statement will be available at locations, chosen by Lancashire County Council and the office of Wyre Borough Council.
Ed: it is not known at the time of going to press if this planning application will be made available to view at the WBC’s Knott End office but it will certainly be available at the Poulton Civic Centre.
If you do write to Canatxx, your question and their answer might be of interest to other readers, so please consider copying Focus with it.
The Preface mentioned earlier in the Canatxx Planning Application follows ..
.
PREFACE
PROPOSED GAS STORAGE FACILITY
PREESALL SALTFIELD
The Department of Trade and Industry has stated that there is a pressing National Interest need for gas storage on a large scale which will also offer flexibility in the management of the national system of gas distribution. The purpose of this project is to help to meet that need.
The project consists of the creation of a series of underground caverns in the Preesall area in which natural gas can be stored.
The caverns are proposed to be created in a thick layer of salt which lies at a depth of 1,200 feet below the River Wyre Estuary near Preesall.
The process proposed is known as solution mining, which involves pumping water under pressure through a borehole to dissolve the underground salt.
The dissolved salt, in the form of a saturated brine solution, is then extracted via the borehole.
This process is carried out in such a way as to form a strong, safe and reliable facility which can be used to store gas.
Solution mining of salt caverns for gas storage is a well-known and well-developed technology in use around the world, including the United States and Europe.
The storage caverns are proposed to be connected by a pipeline to the National Transmission System (“ the NTS”).
Gas will be taken from the NTS to be stored in the storage caverns until such time as it is required to be injected back into the NTS in order, among other things, to enable the NTS to cope with peak demands for gas and to maintain continuity of supply to gas customers.
The location was chosen for the project because it has the following unique features:
A highly suitable salt layer
An abundant source of water for the solution mining process - sea water drawn from the Fish Dock at Fleetwood
A suitable means of disposal of the extracted brine namely the Irish Sea
Ready access to the NTS, a short distance away
It is recognised that projects on the scale of this one can have significant impacts on the area in which they are undertaken.
Consequently, the guiding principles of this Project are:
To design the safest and most efficient scheme using the best techniques and equipment having regard to the circumstances which prevail
To select consultants and contractors who have the requisite knowledge and experience and who recognise and understand the design philosophy of the Project
To work with local agencies in order to identify and seek to satisfy their proper requirements
Where there are legitimate concerns, to seek innovative and imaginative solutions which have no impact or, where this can not be done, to minimise any impacts so as to make them acceptable
To balance the interests of the Nation against those of the people of the locality
In order to minimise the impact of the project, the following features have been incorporated:
Borehole drilling locations have been selected to avoid sensitive areas, particularly the Site of Special Scientific Interest but also inhabited areas
A highly sophisticated and robust regime of monitoring and control features, incorporating three layers of safety systems to detect any malfunction and to take immediate remedial action
Most of the project infrastructure will be underground - principally pipelines carrying sea water; brine; and gas, thereby minimising visual impact at surface level
Building locations have been chosen carefully and the buildings have been designed to a high standard to be unobtrusive to the most sensitive viewpoints
Equipment has been selected to eliminate or, at the very least, to minimise noise and emissions
The application documentation covers, in detail, all aspects of the project, including, among many other things:
A full description of the works
An explanation of the importance of the project as a contribution to meet the pressing National Interest need for gas storage
Information on safety issues
An extensive independent assessment of the environmental impact
PROTECT WYRE GROUP
Finally the long awaited Canatxx plans for the controversial storage of gas in the salt at Preesall have been lodged with Lancashire County Council.
There is obviously little to say about the Protect Wyre Group’s intentions at this stage until we have had chance to scrutinise the contents of the application.
It is perhaps worth noting that on the ‘Preface’ that Canatxx have published, that they place great store in the fact that their project is going to help to meet the need of the government’s pressing need to store gas on a large scale.
It speaks of a “pressing National Interest”.
PWG and all it’s member organisations fully understand the statements issued by the government in this matter.
We have sold off much of the North Sea gas and will need to import gas from other countries in the future, i.e. the UK will be a net importer of gas.
It seems odd then that reports in the national press state that over 60% of the North Sea gas production last year was sold to Europe.
Why isn’t the government putting a hold on production, just as it does with farmers when they over produce? If they did, then we might have lots of gas for the future and not need any significant on-shore facilities.
First impressions would indicate that Canatxx are now setting their sights on being a National Champion.
They state that one of their guiding principles will be to “balance the interests of the Nation against those of the people of the locality”.
Read into that what you will.
Their documentation also contains an explanation of the importance of the project as a contribution to meet the pressing National Interest for gas storage.
When PWG members contacted the DTI, the DTI didn’t even know where Preesall or Stalmine were and stated that the statements issued were general and not issued specifically about the merits of one site against another.
Interestingly, Transco, who manage the National Transmission System (NTS) which is the network of gas pipes around the UK, issued a document which looks at new import and storage projects.
The document lists various sites and gives their current status, listing the Canatxx (Fleetwood) project at the bottom as totally conceptual in status as opposed to others where planning has been agreed or sought.
Interestingly, Transco say that “it is unrealistic that all of these import and storage projects will proceed to their proposed development timescales and delivery volumes, not least because together they would provide significantly more that the projected supply gap would imply is required”.
This is without any volumes being quoted for the Canatxx project.
You could maybe assume from this that the UK already has sufficient provision for the on-shore storage of gas and thereby question whether this project fulfils any pressing need other than that of Canatxx and it’s shareholders.
Lancashire County Council now have 16 weeks in which to determine the application or to extend a further period in agreement with the applicant.
Wyre Borough’s role in this matter has yet to be fully identified and the part that public opinion plays is as yet unknown.
What is known, is that PWG will be asking for a public meeting if LCC don’t already have one in mind to ensure that as many residents as possible are made fully aware of the facts.
PWG cannot see how the government’s supposed pressing need for on-shore gas storage can over-ride the safety implications and laws that Kansas have put in place to protect their citizens.
Namely, no underground gas storage within 3 miles of a municipal settlement or within 1 mile of a disused brine well (there are over 130 of them at Preesall).
Canatxx may want to be hailed as national heroes; PWG members simply want to protect the livelihoods and well being of local residents.
We don’t want to see our property values fall or our homes and families put at risk from explosion.
We don’t want the area to be a possible target for a terrorist attack - far fetched as it seems but did you expect say this time last year to be advised by the government that you should not travel to Turkey?
Please think carefully about how this proposed project affects you and your family and be prepared to stand up for your rights.
Please come back to this page as it will be updated as things develop. We are in close contact with PWG and any information will be posted here.
Back to TAG Homepage