£500m gas storage scheme to go ahead

7:16am Saturday 17th May 2008

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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.