PLANS for a pipeline that will transport industrial CO2 for storage off Flintshire's coast have been approved.

The 60km pipeline will collect CO2 produced at industrial plants at Ince and Stanlow in Cheshire and transport it to the Point of Ayr terminal at Talacre where it will stored off shore in depleted gas reservoirs owned by Eni. 

Spanning 60.4 kilometres, the pipeline will utilise both new construction and repurposed natural gas pipelines, with around 36.4 kilometres being newly constructed.

A significant portion of the pipeline, approximately 32 kilometres, will be a new build section between Stanlow and Flint. 

The Point of Ayr Terminal currently processes natural gas from the Liverpool Bay offshore fields. The scheme will see the Point of Ayr terminal repurposed to enable it to process carbon dioxide instead of natural gas. 

Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, recently approved the scheme - which is expected to transport about 4.5 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. This could rise to 10 million tonnes per year by 2030.

Claudio Descalzi, Eni chief executive officer, said: “We see the UK as an attractive destination for Eni’s investments, particularly in the area of decarbonisation.

“We welcome the UK Government’s ambition to promote and develop the kind of groundbreaking projects we need to address climate change, especially within hard-to-abate sectors.

“Carbon capture will play a critical role in meeting this challenge by safely eliminating emissions from industries that currently do not have equally efficient and effective solutions.”