South Wales Gas Pipeline
Encyclopedia
The South Wales Gas Pipeline (also known as the Milford Haven pipeline) is the UK’s largest high-pressure gas pipeline. The 197 miles (317 km) pipeline passing through Wales was built for the National Grid and links Dragon and South Hook
liquid natural gas (LNG) terminals at Milford Haven
, Pembrokeshire
with the national gas network at Tirley, Gloucestershire
.
The pipeline was expected to cost around £700 million,and was, according to the National Grid, expected to transport around 20% of the gas needed to meet UK consumption in future. Construction of the pipeline was estimated to take approximately three years, aiming to end in October 2007. Environmental controversy surrounded the decision to build it, especially through sections of the Brecon Beacons National Park where the National Park Authority called it a “huge blow”. The pipeline was completed in November 2007.
oil and gas fields are used up. National Grid stated that, "The reality is that the offshore fields are decreasing in output and demand for gas from homes and businesses is growing at such a rate, that analysis shows that the UK will become increasingly dependent upon imported gas over the coming years."
This depletion was predicted by Hubbert peak theory
. As a result, the energy policy of the United Kingdom
is likely to become an increasingly important issue and importation of liquid natural gas from the Middle East will help diversify UK energy supplies otherwise dependent on a few suppliers such as Russia
.
This energy security concern accounted for the great rapidity in planning of the pipeline route, starting in 2003, as existing South Wales pipelines were too small to transport the gas needed from the planned terminals. An alternative subsea route using similar technology to the Langeled pipeline
, which was being planned and built at the same time, was ruled out for expense reasons. Critics suggested that the money on the pipeline and terminals would have been better spent on renewable energy sources which would provide permanent energy security and would also have prevented global warming
.
National Grid claimed that the project also had significant benefits for the Welsh economy: "The pipeline means for the first time, South Wales will be at the ‘front end’ rather than the ‘tail end’ of the UK gas transmission network. At present, gas flows west into Wales from England." It also stated that the project will "secure Wales’ energy supply for many years to come, and will allow further economic development in South Wales."
like the River Usk
and its tributaries. The pipeline was allowed within the Brecon Beacons National Park as it was ruled a “critical” part of future energy needs on February 7, 2007 by the Department of Trade and Industry.
The route includes unstable areas such as Trebanos
, liable to landslide and earthquake due to extensive historic mineworkings, which are deemed too dangerous for mains gas to be piped to local homes. Local people raised concerns and permission was denied in November 2006, but the pipeline was still laid in the area. As one local said: "If there was a shift or a landslip again, my fear is that the pipe would fracture, and we'd get an enormous gas leak." National Grid claimed that the pipeline would be secure. An undiscovered Roman road
was found during the building of the pipeline near Brecon and was partially destroyed as a result.
. Other protests and camps occurred at Milford Haven
, Cilfrew, Alltwen
, and Brecon
, with locals and activists regularly disrupting work. There were strong similarities to the concerns raised by the anti-pipeline protest movement at County Mayo
, Ireland
organized by Shell To Sea
. The tactics used were similar to those used in similar environmental direct action
protests.
The opposition was also supported by a perception by local Welsh people that a pipeline like this would not be permitted in England, raising echoes of the infamous drowning of Capel Celyn
for a reservoir. Local councils such as Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
were pressured to speed up planning permission. Planning decisions were pushed through, as in the case of the Cilfrew Pressure Reduction Installation which was approved only by excluding certain protesting councillors from the vote, a process deemed illegal by a high court judge saying "it is a wonder that anybody votes on anything". The result of this decision led the National Grid to declare a force majeure
notice in April 2007 to avoid any responsibility for any delays in gas delivery. In June 2007 a High Court ruling meant the Brecon protest camp featuring tree houses and tunnels open since January was closed down with a number of protestors arrested and substantial local disruption to roads. In Peterstow
Herefordshire
, protestors forced the National Grid to choose another site that was more expensive but more environmentally friendly for their installation.
, west of Milford Haven
, the pipeline connects to South Hook LNG which will be the biggest LNG terminal in the world and is a joint project between Qatar Petroleum
and ExxonMobil
. It then runs to near Waterston, the site of a second, smaller terminal, Dragon LNG, which is run by a consortium in which BG Group
is the major partner.
where, at the Cilfrew Pressure Reduction Installation, pressure is reduced so that gas can flow into the existing pipeline network serving south Wales. The contractor is Nacap Land & Marine Joint Venture.
near Swansea
the pipeline runs to Corse near Tirley, Gloucestershire
, where it connects with the existing gas pipeline network. To permit the new pipeline to operate at the intended 94 barg, a Pressure Reduction Installation (PRI) is required before it joins the existing National Transmission System - the 'motorway' of gas distribution in the UK. National Grid applied to Forest of Dean District Council in 2006 for planning permission to construct a PRI at Corse but this was refused by the Council and an appeal against that decision was refused by the Secretaries of State in December 2007. An application to construct a PRI on a second site, 400 metres from the first site, was lodged with Tewkesbury Borough Council in 2008 but was refused unanimously by that Council's Planning Committee on 2 February 2010. National Grid have appealed against that decision.
This 122 miles (196.3 km) section passes through 16 miles of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Pipeline routeing and environmental impact assessment took place from October 2004 to summer 2006 and consent and land acquisition took from winter 2005 to February 2007. The pipeline diameter is 1220 mm (48 inches). Construction began on this section on February 2007. The contactor for the Felindre to Brecon section was Nacap Land & Marine Joint Venture and for Brecon to Tirley section, Murphy Pipelines Ltd. The contentious nature of this section led to consultations with key statutory bodies, such as the Countryside Council for Wales
, English Nature
, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, the Environment Agency
, the Welsh Assembly Government
and Blaenavon World Heritage Partnership.
.
South Hook LNG terminal
South Hook LNG terminal is an LNG regasification terminal near Milford Haven and is the largest LNG terminal in Europe. Together with the smaller Dragon LNG terminal it can handle up to 25% of the UK's gas requirement. The first tanker docked on 20 March 2009....
liquid natural gas (LNG) terminals at Milford Haven
Milford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
with the national gas network at Tirley, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
.
The pipeline was expected to cost around £700 million,and was, according to the National Grid, expected to transport around 20% of the gas needed to meet UK consumption in future. Construction of the pipeline was estimated to take approximately three years, aiming to end in October 2007. Environmental controversy surrounded the decision to build it, especially through sections of the Brecon Beacons National Park where the National Park Authority called it a “huge blow”. The pipeline was completed in November 2007.
Planning and significance
Ruled a national energy security issue by the government, the pipeline's significance lies in the UK’s move from being a net exporter to a net importer of energy as the North SeaNorth Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
oil and gas fields are used up. National Grid stated that, "The reality is that the offshore fields are decreasing in output and demand for gas from homes and businesses is growing at such a rate, that analysis shows that the UK will become increasingly dependent upon imported gas over the coming years."
This depletion was predicted by Hubbert peak theory
Hubbert peak theory
The Hubbert peak theory posits that for any given geographical area, from an individual oil-producing region to the planet as a whole, the rate of petroleum production tends to follow a bell-shaped curve...
. As a result, the energy policy of the United Kingdom
Energy policy of the United Kingdom
The current energy policy of the United Kingdom is set out in the Energy White Paper of May 2007 and Low Carbon Transition Plan of July 2009, building on previous work including the 2003 Energy White Paper and the Energy Review Report in 2006...
is likely to become an increasingly important issue and importation of liquid natural gas from the Middle East will help diversify UK energy supplies otherwise dependent on a few suppliers such as Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
This energy security concern accounted for the great rapidity in planning of the pipeline route, starting in 2003, as existing South Wales pipelines were too small to transport the gas needed from the planned terminals. An alternative subsea route using similar technology to the Langeled pipeline
Langeled pipeline
The Langeled pipeline is an underwater pipeline transporting Norwegian natural gas to the United Kingdom. Before the completion of the Nord Stream pipeline, it was the longest subsea pipeline in the world.-History:...
, which was being planned and built at the same time, was ruled out for expense reasons. Critics suggested that the money on the pipeline and terminals would have been better spent on renewable energy sources which would provide permanent energy security and would also have prevented global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
.
National Grid claimed that the project also had significant benefits for the Welsh economy: "The pipeline means for the first time, South Wales will be at the ‘front end’ rather than the ‘tail end’ of the UK gas transmission network. At present, gas flows west into Wales from England." It also stated that the project will "secure Wales’ energy supply for many years to come, and will allow further economic development in South Wales."
Environmental concerns
In Milford Haven, concerns have focused on the possibility of collision between LNG tankers and oil tankers in one of the UK's busiest ports, as well as the danger that the terminals will be a target for terrorism. A 16-mile section of the pipeline passed through part of the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales, despite repeated objections from the National Park Authority. The Park contains a number of environmentally sensitive areas in the UK, including numerous sites of special scientific interest, and special areas of conservationSpecial Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
like the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
and its tributaries. The pipeline was allowed within the Brecon Beacons National Park as it was ruled a “critical” part of future energy needs on February 7, 2007 by the Department of Trade and Industry.
The route includes unstable areas such as Trebanos
Trebanos
Trebanos is a village in the Swansea Valley, Wales. It forms, together with Craig Trebanos and a part of Pontardawe, the Trebanos electoral ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough....
, liable to landslide and earthquake due to extensive historic mineworkings, which are deemed too dangerous for mains gas to be piped to local homes. Local people raised concerns and permission was denied in November 2006, but the pipeline was still laid in the area. As one local said: "If there was a shift or a landslip again, my fear is that the pipe would fracture, and we'd get an enormous gas leak." National Grid claimed that the pipeline would be secure. An undiscovered Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
was found during the building of the pipeline near Brecon and was partially destroyed as a result.
Protest
The environmental consequences of the pipeline and the perceived lack of local consultation led to considerable protest. Protests were organised by local groups along with Safe Haven Network, supported by climate change action group Rising Tide UK. Work was delayed by protest in November 2006 at TrebanosTrebanos
Trebanos is a village in the Swansea Valley, Wales. It forms, together with Craig Trebanos and a part of Pontardawe, the Trebanos electoral ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough....
. Other protests and camps occurred at Milford Haven
Milford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
, Cilfrew, Alltwen
Alltwen
Alltwen – meaning "white wooded slope" – is a village in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, near Pontardawe in the Swansea Valley...
, and Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
, with locals and activists regularly disrupting work. There were strong similarities to the concerns raised by the anti-pipeline protest movement at County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
organized by Shell To Sea
Shell to Sea
Shell to Sea is a campaign based in Cill Chomáin parish, Erris, County Mayo, Ireland which opposes the proposed construction of a natural gas pipeline through the parish and the ongoing construction by Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil and Vermilion Energy Trust of a refinery at Bellanaboy intended to...
. The tactics used were similar to those used in similar environmental direct action
Environmental direct action in the United Kingdom
The environmental direct action movement in the United Kingdom started in 1991 with the forming of the first UK Earth First! group. The movement rapidly grew to include road protest camps, airport camps, anti-GMO actions, electricity generators, and quarry actions.-History:The Earth First! movement...
protests.
The opposition was also supported by a perception by local Welsh people that a pipeline like this would not be permitted in England, raising echoes of the infamous drowning of Capel Celyn
Capel Celyn
Capel Celyn was a rural community to the north west of Bala in Gwynedd, north Wales, in the Afon Tryweryn valley. The village and other parts of the valley were flooded to create a reservoir, Llyn Celyn, in order to supply Liverpool and The Wirral with water for industry...
for a reservoir. Local councils such as Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is the local governing body for Neath Port Talbot. It is currently controlled by the Labour party, under the leadership of Councillor Alun Thomas, who succeeded Derek Vaughan when he became an MEP in May 2009....
were pressured to speed up planning permission. Planning decisions were pushed through, as in the case of the Cilfrew Pressure Reduction Installation which was approved only by excluding certain protesting councillors from the vote, a process deemed illegal by a high court judge saying "it is a wonder that anybody votes on anything". The result of this decision led the National Grid to declare a force majeure
Force majeure
Force majeure or vis major "superior force", also known as cas fortuit or casus fortuitus "chance occurrence, unavoidable accident", is a common clause in contracts that essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of...
notice in April 2007 to avoid any responsibility for any delays in gas delivery. In June 2007 a High Court ruling meant the Brecon protest camp featuring tree houses and tunnels open since January was closed down with a number of protestors arrested and substantial local disruption to roads. In Peterstow
Peterstow
Peterstow is a village and Civil parish in Herefordshire, England situated about west of Ross-on-Wye on the A49.-General description of the village:...
Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, protestors forced the National Grid to choose another site that was more expensive but more environmentally friendly for their installation.
Technical description and route
The pipeline is operated at a higher pressure than other gas pipelines in the UK: 94 barg (1364 psi) instead of 85 barg (1231 psi). This pressure is higher than most standard pipelines worldwide and will increase the chance of pipe leak and corrosion, though other such high-pressure pipelines have been successfully run in Germany, for example. It is buried 1.2 metres underground for most of the route. National Grid replaced, levelled and cultivated the large amount of vegetation, subsoil and topsoil which had been removed to a width in places of a dual carriageway in an attempt to restore the land to its original condition. They consulted and used a wide range of environmental experts to help restore the environment.Milford Haven Terminals
Beginning at HerbrandstonHerbrandston
Herbrandston is a large coastal village on the north side of the River Cleddau, in southern Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated to the west of Milford Haven and Hakin, and lies to the east of St Ishmael's. The village has a population of 1,523, 15% of which is Welsh speaking. Before 1960 and the...
, west of Milford Haven
Milford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
, the pipeline connects to South Hook LNG which will be the biggest LNG terminal in the world and is a joint project between Qatar Petroleum
Qatar Petroleum
Qatar Petroleum is a state owned petroleum company in Qatar. The company operates all oil and gas activities in Qatar, including exploration, production, refining, transport, and storage. QP's Chairman Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, is also the head of the Ministry of Energy and Industry and, as...
and ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
. It then runs to near Waterston, the site of a second, smaller terminal, Dragon LNG, which is run by a consortium in which BG Group
BG Group
BG Group plc is a global oil and gas company headquartered in Reading, United Kingdom. It has operations in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America and South America and produces around 680,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. It has a major Liquefied Natural Gas ...
is the major partner.
Milford Haven - Aberdulais section
Pipeline routing was planned January 2004 to March 2005; while consent and land acquisition took from March 2005 to spring 2006. Construction began on this 120 km (74.6 mi) section on March 2006. The pipeline diameter is 1220 mm (48 inches). It runs to AberdulaisAberdulais
Aberdulais or mouth & Dulais) is a village in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, lying on the River Neath.- History, amenities & attractions:...
where, at the Cilfrew Pressure Reduction Installation, pressure is reduced so that gas can flow into the existing pipeline network serving south Wales. The contractor is Nacap Land & Marine Joint Venture.
Felindre - Tirley section
Starting from a new compressor station at FelindreFelindre
Felindre is a rural village in south Wales. The village can be found in the far north of Swansea, in the electoral ward of Mawr.The nearby Lower Lliw Reservoirs are a popular venue for walking and fishing. The water mill in the village was working until the late 1960s, there was also an abbatoir...
near Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
the pipeline runs to Corse near Tirley, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, where it connects with the existing gas pipeline network. To permit the new pipeline to operate at the intended 94 barg, a Pressure Reduction Installation (PRI) is required before it joins the existing National Transmission System - the 'motorway' of gas distribution in the UK. National Grid applied to Forest of Dean District Council in 2006 for planning permission to construct a PRI at Corse but this was refused by the Council and an appeal against that decision was refused by the Secretaries of State in December 2007. An application to construct a PRI on a second site, 400 metres from the first site, was lodged with Tewkesbury Borough Council in 2008 but was refused unanimously by that Council's Planning Committee on 2 February 2010. National Grid have appealed against that decision.
This 122 miles (196.3 km) section passes through 16 miles of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Pipeline routeing and environmental impact assessment took place from October 2004 to summer 2006 and consent and land acquisition took from winter 2005 to February 2007. The pipeline diameter is 1220 mm (48 inches). Construction began on this section on February 2007. The contactor for the Felindre to Brecon section was Nacap Land & Marine Joint Venture and for Brecon to Tirley section, Murphy Pipelines Ltd. The contentious nature of this section led to consultations with key statutory bodies, such as the Countryside Council for Wales
Countryside Council for Wales
The Countryside Council for Wales is an Assembly Government Sponsored Body. It is the Welsh Assembly Government's wildlife conservation authority for Wales...
, English Nature
English Nature
English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006...
, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
, the Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
and Blaenavon World Heritage Partnership.
Completion
The pipeline was completed in November 2007, which was marked by the opening of a valve at Felindre by Government Energy Minister Malcolm WicksMalcolm Wicks
Malcolm Hunt Wicks is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Croydon North since 1997. He was MP for Croydon North West from 1992 to 1997.-Early life and education:...
.
See also
- Pipeline transportPipeline transportPipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
- Natural gasNatural gasNatural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
- Energy use and conservation in the United KingdomEnergy use and conservation in the United KingdomEnergy use in the United Kingdom stood at 3,894.6 kilogrammes of oil equivalent per capita in 2005 compared to a world average of 1,778.0. In 2008, total energy consumed was 9.85 exajoules - around 2% of the estimated 474 EJ worldwide total...
- TranscoNational Grid plcNational Grid plc is a multinational electricity and gas utility company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its principal activities are in the United Kingdom and northeastern United States and it is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world.National Grid is listed on...
External links
- National Grid: Milford Haven Gas Connection Projects
- Brecon Beacons National Park Authority - Response to National Grid Environmental Statement on Pipeline, October 2006
- BBC New pipeline 'will aid industry'.
- Fight the Pipe: The main protest web page based in Brecon lots of details.
- UK Indymedia - Resistance Builds up Against Welsh Gas Pipeline (Pictures of pipeline workings)
- Western Mail - Difference of opinion over gas pipeline. Includes project timeline.
- Studio8's Pipeline Paranoia