Peak Cluster

4 Mar 2026

Introduction

Peak Cluster is a consortium planning to build a pipeline from the cement and lime producing factories of Derbyshire / Staffordshire to the Wirral coast at Leasowe / Moreton. The pipeline will take carbon dioxide (CO2) from the factories to be pumped into off shore underground storage in depleted formed gas fields in Morecambe bay. It is accepted that as a nation we need to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere & the proposed pipeline, the Peak Cluster Project, is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and as such, Wirral Council is a consultee but not the planning consent authority.

The Wirral Lib-Dem Position

Our council group has many concerns about this project & has submitted a motion for urgent debate.

there remains a lack of clear justification for selecting the Wirral as part of the preferred pipeline corridor and for the siting of a Coastal Above Ground Instillation (AGI) between Meols and Moreton with a lack of clarity over the precise location, scale and environmental impact of this structure;
alternative routes and locations have not been fully or transparently assessed, and sensitive landscapes, agricultural land, and coastal processes have not been adequately weighted in decision-making;
the construction and operation of the pipeline and AGI has raised public concern over potential risks to land quality, drainage, wildlife corridors, and coastal systems, particularly along the North Wirral coast and Hoylake Beach;
general assurances of land restoration are insufficient; residents need clear, enforceable guarantees, long-term monitoring, and legally binding responsibility for remediation if damage occurs years after construction;
there are legitimate public safety and emergency planning concerns that have not been adequately addressed, nor have site-specific emergency plans been made publicly available; and
there is little clarity on local benefit, meaningful mitigation, compensation arrangements, or protection against compulsory land acquisition.

We have asked the Leader of Wirral Council to seek urgent answers to these questions from the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change. We believe that Peak Cluster representatives should be required to give a presentation to all councillors, answer all questions raised in detail and provide written assurances where appropriate.

Some Thoughts About the Peak Projects Pipeline

Pipelines have been a safe and secure method of transporting large quantities of hazardous liquids and gases over long distances for many years.

Once constructed they have a very small visual footprint and give rise to negligible carbon emissions except for inspection and maintenance.

It is now around 50 years since the first high pressure natural gas pipeline was built to transport gas from the North Sea off NE Scotland to England and the high-pressure gas network now extends to over 5000 km of pipeline. According to HSE there are already 22000 km of hazardous pipelines in the UK carrying gas or hydrocarbon liquids.

All aspects of high-pressure pipelines from design, installation and operation are strictly regulated under the comprehensive Pipelines Safety Regulations) by the Health and Safety Executive.

There is massive experience available in pipeline design. The pipes themselves are fabricated from high quality materials; the joints are formed using sophisticated welding techniques and are subject to stringent testing and the pipelines once operational are subject to constant instrumentation and monitoring.

Operation of a pipeline is controlled and monitored from a constantly manned control room. Regular internal inspection of pipelines can be undertaken using devices which pass through the line monitoring them to a high level of accuracy and aerial surveys detect any potential surface disturbance. Hence there is a very low frequency of failure.

Pipelines are normally laid in open country to avoid residential and industrial areas. Laying a cross-country pipeline does cause disruption but equally the numerous environmentalists, ecologists and similar specialists involved in advising on disruption and reinstatement minimise the long-term effects.

The high voltage cable from Scotland to Deeside via Wirral was laid in 2019 and almost no trace of its path can be seen today other than small cable marker posts at fence lines. https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/9761110.wirral-cable-route-revealed/

Trenchless techniques for installing pipelines under roads and watercourses without surface excavation, minimise disruption.

New development is not normally permitted within the corridor in which a pipeline is laid hence green belt is protected by its presence.

Cement is an essential construction material for the UK and around 30% is imported. Cement replacement materials are available such as pulverised fuel ash (PFA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS). However, with the closure of coal fired power stations and the lack of virgin steelmaking capacity in the UK, stocks of both materials are diminishing. There are ways of reducing the CO2 released in to the atmosphere, but there will always be a large volume to be released.

Cement is made from CaO (calcium oxide). The raw material is CaCO3 (calcium carbonate). Therefore, CO2 is an inevitable by-product.

At present 3 million tonnes of the CO2 people are concerned about is discharged into the air in the Peak District with no health problems being reported.

Carbon Capture and Storage may not be the right approach when electricity is being generated, but there is no alternative for the cement industry.

Natural gas was stored for millions of years in the depleted gas fields into which the CO2 will be pumped. The CO2 can be safely stored there indefinitely.

If we are to slow down, and eventually reverse destructive climate change, we must stop (or at least minimise) the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Wirral’s waste is transported to Teeside for incineration. This mitigates against the argument that the CO2 produced in the Peak District is ‘not our problem’.

However, there remain many important issues to consider in deciding on the exact route, landscaping and ensuring there is net environmental gain for Wirral. Residents’ legitimate concerns must be listened to. The substantial funding for the project announced by the government last July has led to a concern that this is a 'done deal' and that important issues raised by Wirral residents will be over-ridden in the 'national interest'. The size, scale and area covered by the processing plant at the seaward end of the pipeline has rightly angered residents in that area. At the present time & until we receive satisfactory answers and assurances to the concerns that we have raised then we cannot support this project.