Peak Cluster CO2 pipeline route revised through Mid Cheshire after public consultation

Peak Cluster has revised its proposed CO2 pipeline route through Mid Cheshire after thousands of responses to the first public consultation. About 15% of the pipeline has been amended, including around Holmes Chapel and Middlewich. The construction corridor has been narrowed from 300m to 100m, and the route now runs south of both towns instead of north. The developer says the change reduces proximity to homes, amenity spaces, and archaeological sites. The pipeline is designed to carry carbon dioxide from four cement and lime producers, Buxton Lime, Breedon, Holcim, and Tarmac, to storage in the spent gas fields of Morecambe Bay. The project is meant to cut greenhouse gas emissions while keeping those industries running. Local councils and MPs remain split, with Cheshire West and Chester Council and Esther McVey in opposition, while Cheshire East Council and Mid Cheshire MP Andrew Cooper have not taken a position. Further public consultation is planned for the end of this year and in mid-next year. The final decision will be made by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, based on a recommendation from the Planning Inspectorate. Anyone tracking carbon capture projects in the UK should watch the next round of consultation closely.