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£500m gas storage scheme to go ahead
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| GAS GETS GOING: We're very happy with the decision, says chief executive Andrew Hindle |
A MAJOR gas storage facility on Portland has been given the go-ahead by councillors.
Portland Gas Storage Ltd won approval for its £500 million project at a meeting of Dorset County Council's planning committee.
The former naval base at Upper Osprey Quay will now become a main storage facility for supplying gas to the South West.
It will meet about five per cent of the country's storage needs.
Speaking after the meeting, Portland Gas Storage chief executive Andrew Hindle said: "We're naturally very happy with this decision, especially as it was made in Dorset with local representatives who know and care for this special part of the world.
"The decision is good news for South Dorset and for the nation as a whole."
Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the facility, which will comprise 14 underground storage caverns.
Some 23 miles of pipeline will run from Portland to Mappowder in North Dorset - the nearest point to the national grid's gas network.
Pipework will also be created to pump in seawater to dissolve salt deposits to create the caverns.
A pipeline from Portland will take resulting brine to West Stafford, where 12 wells will be created to store it.
The caverns could be jointly capable of storing up to 35 billion cubic feet of gas.
Other infrastructure approved for the project included a temporary pipe storage area at Broadmayne, a valve station at Osmington and a new visitor centre and access road from Grove Road in Portland.
Speaking at the meeting, Councillor Peter Farrell said: "This is a fabulous project.
"I think it is going to benefit the country and the local area."
Coun Les Ames added: "There is no doubt of the need for this project."
But Coun Ames and Mappowder residents voiced concerns about increased volumes of heavy traffic as a result of the project - especially around Mappowder and Buxton Road in Portland.
During the meeting members were told there was a very limited number of suitable sites for gas storage in the UK.
Coun John Peake said: "This is quite a historic application and we are entering new territory."
Committee chairman Derek Burt said: "This is a major planning application that has caused a great deal of interest and concern from some residents.
"It is something that will be used for a considerable amount of time."
Construction work on the project is due to start this summer and it is hoped the storage space will be ready by 2015.
7:16am Saturday 17th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: nige, dorchester on 9:11am Sat 17 May 08
I think this is a great boost for the local economy but find it a little ironic that poor Mappowder which doesn't have a gas supply is sitting on a pipeline holding 1 billion cubic metres of gas...You would think that the gas people could spare a little for Mappowder wouldn't you?
I think this is a great boost for the local economy but find it a little ironic that poor Mappowder which doesn't have a gas supply is sitting on a pipeline holding 1 billion cubic metres of gas...You would think that the gas people could spare a little for Mappowder wouldn't you?
Posted by: chanticleer, here, there, and everywhere on 1:46pm Sat 17 May 08
[quote]Pipework will also be created to pump in seawater to dissolve salt deposits to create the caverns.
A pipeline from Portland will take resulting brine to West Stafford, where 12 wells will be created to store it.
[/quote]
Nooo!...thats now the third time in one week that the Echo has misreported this planning application!
For the record, sea water will be used to dissolve the salt deposits and produce underground caverns. The resulting concentrated salt liquid will be pumped back to the surface [bold]and dumped into Weymouth Bay via an outfall pipe[/bold]. It will [bold]not[/bold] be taken to storage wells at West Stafford . Those brine wells are for a completely different purpose concerned with the operation of the storage caverns, once construction has ceased.
This information is included in the Portland Gas Envirnmental Statement (which the Echo obviously hasn't read) and also appears in a film which can be viewed on the Portland Gas website.
Portland Gas estimate that the Weymouth Bay brine outfall will operate at a rate of [bold]2,000 cubic metres of high salinity liquid per hour![/bold] As the whole excavation period is set to take many years, you can imagine that thats one heck of a lot of brine to be dumped in Weymouth Bay.
Especially when you realise that the salinity of seawater is about [bold]3.5%[/bold] and that of the proposed discharge material is [bold]25%![/bold]
Quite a difference - and one which is likely to adversely effect the local marine environment.
Pipework will also be created to pump in seawater to dissolve salt deposits to create the caverns.
A pipeline from Portland will take resulting brine to West Stafford, where 12 wells will be created to store it.
Nooo!...thats now the third time in one week that the Echo has misreported this planning application!
For the record, sea water will be used to dissolve the salt deposits and produce underground caverns. The resulting concentrated salt liquid will be pumped back to the surface
and dumped into Weymouth Bay via an outfall pipe. It will
not be taken to storage wells at West Stafford . Those brine wells are for a completely different purpose concerned with the operation of the storage caverns, once construction has ceased.
This information is included in the Portland Gas Envirnmental Statement (which the Echo obviously hasn't read) and also appears in a film which can be viewed on the Portland Gas website.
Portland Gas estimate that the Weymouth Bay brine outfall will operate at a rate of
2,000 cubic metres of high salinity liquid per hour! As the whole excavation period is set to take many years, you can imagine that thats one heck of a lot of brine to be dumped in Weymouth Bay.
Especially when you realise that the salinity of seawater is about
3.5% and that of the proposed discharge material is
25%!
Quite a difference - and one which is likely to adversely effect the local marine environment.
Posted by: Fabian, Weymouth on 3:28pm Sat 17 May 08
The dead sea is only 30% salinity; does that mean visitors will now be effortlessly bobbing about in Weymouth bay?
The dead sea is only 30% salinity; does that mean visitors will now be effortlessly bobbing about in Weymouth bay?
Posted by: nige, dorchester on 5:14pm Sat 17 May 08
Wow - Thats fantastic. If we can float in the sea at Weymouth in much the same way we can at the Dead Sea then what a great tourist boost for weymouth.
Wow - Thats fantastic. If we can float in the sea at Weymouth in much the same way we can at the Dead Sea then what a great tourist boost for weymouth.
Posted by: chanticleer, her ther and everywhere on 5:52pm Sat 17 May 08
[quote]The dead sea is only 30% salinity; does that mean visitors will now be effortlessly bobbing about in Weymouth bay?[/quote]
Well, according to another part of Portland Gas' Environmental Statement, we're nearly there - this states that the salinity of the saturated brine to be dumped into Weymouth Bay will be [bold]27%![/bold]
For the Echo's future reference, information concerning the discharge of saturated brine into Weymouth Bay via a new outfall pipe can be found in Sections 3.4.1.4 of the [bold]Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report[/bold] . Further information can be examined in Sections [bold]4.6 Seawater and Brine Discharge[/bold] &
[bold]4.6.1 A description of the seawater intake and brine discharge pipelines[/bold] .
The Environmental Assessment and Appendices can be found on the Dorset County Council website.
The dead sea is only 30% salinity; does that mean visitors will now be effortlessly bobbing about in Weymouth bay?
Well, according to another part of Portland Gas' Environmental Statement, we're nearly there - this states that the salinity of the saturated brine to be dumped into Weymouth Bay will be
27%!
For the Echo's future reference, information concerning the discharge of saturated brine into Weymouth Bay via a new outfall pipe can be found in Sections 3.4.1.4 of the
Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report . Further information can be examined in Sections
4.6 Seawater and Brine Discharge &
4.6.1 A description of the seawater intake and brine discharge pipelines .
The Environmental Assessment and Appendices can be found on the Dorset County Council website.
Posted by: DingDonG, Wilds of Wiltshire on 10:02pm Sat 17 May 08
Sounds like some are over worried about a pinch of salt?[quote]The caverns could be jointly capable of storing up to 35 billion cubic feet of gas.[/quote] As this is in good ole fashun units, it works out as a cube with sides of 3270 feet.
Guess Weymouth Bay's depth is nearer 32 feet, the other two sides for this volume would be about 6 miles. Could be a problem if it all comes out at once, on an incoming tide!
Most likely it would take many months and well diluted over the continuous tidal flows.
QED..BUT..better check my schoolboy maths, done on the back of a fag packet, without calculator. (Drasher Hill (WGS) may be watching from above, and I hate detention)
Sounds like some are over worried about a pinch of salt?
The caverns could be jointly capable of storing up to 35 billion cubic feet of gas.
As this is in good ole fashun units, it works out as a cube with sides of 3270 feet.
Guess Weymouth Bay's depth is nearer 32 feet, the other two sides for this volume would be about 6 miles. Could be a problem if it all comes out at once, on an incoming tide!
Most likely it would take many months and well diluted over the continuous tidal flows.
QED..BUT..better check my schoolboy maths, done on the back of a fag packet, without calculator. (Drasher Hill (WGS) may be watching from above, and I hate detention)
Posted by: chanticleer, here, there, and everywhere on 10:54pm Sat 17 May 08
You're fogetting that, according to Portland Gas', in order to dissolve the aforementioned volume of salt, the resulting leachate will be 8 times greater than the volume of the excavated caverns!
As I mentioned in a previous post,I'm not for one minute suggesting that the whole of Weymouth Bay will fill with saturated saline leachate - I just feel that to rely on the tide to take away your waste material is an outdated and irresponsible course of action. I'm surprised that an experienced company such as Portland Gas would still, in this day and age, cling to the old, discredited method of disposal such as 'dilute and disperse'.
As for 'Drasher' - well as I remember it, he turned into a pussycat towards the end of his career. Remember when a fifth year form (5K/5X?) gave him a bottle of whisky as a Xmas present, and he led a conga through the school and over the road to the pub?
You're fogetting that, according to Portland Gas', in order to dissolve the aforementioned volume of salt, the resulting leachate will be 8 times greater than the volume of the excavated caverns!
As I mentioned in a previous post,I'm not for one minute suggesting that the whole of Weymouth Bay will fill with saturated saline leachate - I just feel that to rely on the tide to take away your waste material is an outdated and irresponsible course of action. I'm surprised that an experienced company such as Portland Gas would still, in this day and age, cling to the old, discredited method of disposal such as 'dilute and disperse'.
As for 'Drasher' - well as I remember it, he turned into a pussycat towards the end of his career. Remember when a fifth year form (5K/5X?) gave him a bottle of whisky as a Xmas present, and he led a conga through the school and over the road to the pub?
Posted by: Tru Belle, purbeck on 4:54pm Sun 18 May 08
Will the under ground caverns reveal any long lost secrets I wonder?
Will the under ground caverns reveal any long lost secrets I wonder?
Posted by: anneofportland, Portland on 7:52pm Sun 18 May 08
Always something to worry about? Should we Portland people be worried about sitting on a big cave full of gas? I'll go and look at my house insurance policy.....
Always something to worry about? Should we Portland people be worried about sitting on a big cave full of gas? I'll go and look at my house insurance policy.....
Posted by: Albo, Wyke Regis on 9:20am Mon 19 May 08
[quote][bold]anneofportland[/bold] wrote:
Always something to worry about? Should we Portland people be worried about sitting on a big cave full of gas? I'll go and look at my house insurance policy.....[/quote] Nothing to worry about, at all.
Just don't smoke.
anneofportland wrote:
Always something to worry about? Should we Portland people be worried about sitting on a big cave full of gas? I'll go and look at my house insurance policy.....
Nothing to worry about, at all.
Just don't smoke.
Posted by: genghis, portland on 11:55am Mon 19 May 08
[quote][bold]Albo[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]anneofportland[/bold] wrote: Always something to worry about? Should we Portland people be worried about sitting on a big cave full of gas? I'll go and look at my house insurance policy.....[/quote] Nothing to worry about, at all. Just don't smoke.[/quote] It may scare the RABBITS away.
Albo wrote:
anneofportland wrote: Always something to worry about? Should we Portland people be worried about sitting on a big cave full of gas? I'll go and look at my house insurance policy.....
Nothing to worry about, at all. Just don't smoke.
It may scare the RABBITS away.
Posted by: MIG, Poole on 7:09pm Mon 19 May 08
Posted by: genghis, portland - It may scare the RABBITS away.
You mean CONIES surely?
Spotting the comments posted by DingDonG & chanticleer I wondered whether I had hit a branch of 'Friends Reunited'
I learnt sums at the feet of PUG Welford & Ted Honeybon but if you are looking for inspiration then maybe more appropriate names would be Messrs Oakley, Faller & Daniels (for science)and AJ (Bugs)Welford or Jack Morgan (for Geography).
If anyone remembers the Film 'These are the Damned' then you would not be surprised to find that there are some huge caves under the rock, Just goes to show the Movie people weren't making it up after all!
Posted by: genghis, portland - It may scare the RABBITS away.
You mean CONIES surely?
Spotting the comments posted by DingDonG & chanticleer I wondered whether I had hit a branch of 'Friends Reunited'
I learnt sums at the feet of PUG Welford & Ted Honeybon but if you are looking for inspiration then maybe more appropriate names would be Messrs Oakley, Faller & Daniels (for science)and AJ (Bugs)Welford or Jack Morgan (for Geography).
If anyone remembers the Film 'These are the Damned' then you would not be surprised to find that there are some huge caves under the rock, Just goes to show the Movie people weren't making it up after all!
Posted by: DingDonG, Wilds of Wiltshire on 10:03pm Mon 19 May 08
[quote]A pipeline from Portland will take resulting brine to West Stafford, where 12 wells will be created to store it.[/quote] So, we have all been panicing about the salinity of Wemouth Bay, when all the time it's going down a hole in West Stafford!
A vinegar mine would do the local fish & chip shop a service !
A pipeline from Portland will take resulting brine to West Stafford, where 12 wells will be created to store it.
So, we have all been panicing about the salinity of Wemouth Bay, when all the time it's going down a hole in West Stafford!
A vinegar mine would do the local fish & chip shop a service !
Posted by: genghis, portland on 12:17pm Tue 20 May 08
[quote][bold]MIG[/bold] wrote:
Posted by: genghis, portland - It may scare the RABBITS away. You mean CONIES surely? Spotting the comments posted by DingDonG & chanticleer I wondered whether I had hit a branch of 'Friends Reunited' I learnt sums at the feet of PUG Welford & Ted Honeybon but if you are looking for inspiration then maybe more appropriate names would be Messrs Oakley, Faller & Daniels (for science)and AJ (Bugs)Welford or Jack Morgan (for Geography). If anyone remembers the Film 'These are the Damned' then you would not be surprised to find that there are some huge caves under the rock, Just goes to show the Movie people weren't making it up after all![/quote] No I definitely mean RABBITS.
MIG wrote:
Posted by: genghis, portland - It may scare the RABBITS away. You mean CONIES surely? Spotting the comments posted by DingDonG & chanticleer I wondered whether I had hit a branch of 'Friends Reunited' I learnt sums at the feet of PUG Welford & Ted Honeybon but if you are looking for inspiration then maybe more appropriate names would be Messrs Oakley, Faller & Daniels (for science)and AJ (Bugs)Welford or Jack Morgan (for Geography). If anyone remembers the Film 'These are the Damned' then you would not be surprised to find that there are some huge caves under the rock, Just goes to show the Movie people weren't making it up after all!
No I definitely mean RABBITS.
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