Final stage of plans for 1.5km gas pipeline approved by national park

Bruce Sinclair, Local democracy reporter

The final stage of a call for a 1.5km hydrogen gas pipeline in connection with a previously granted scheme for green energy production has been given the go-ahead.

Late last year Pembrokeshire County Council approved a scheme by Zurich-based MorGen Energy Ltd, previously known as H2 Energy Europe, sought permission for a 1.5km six-inch 10-bar low-pressure hydrogen pipeline and associated Above Ground Installation at the Impala Terminal, Milford Haven to the South Hook Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal.

A supporting statement through agent Fisher German said the scheme crossed both Pembrokeshire County Council and the national park authorities, with a similar application before that authority.

It added: “The proposals form part of the West Wales Hydrogen project, where planning permission was granted on October 6, 2023, for the development of a new 20MW hydrogen production facility at the Impala Terminal (formerly Puma Energy) in Milford Haven.

“The approved hydrogen production facility which uses electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, where the oxygen is a by-product of the process. The hydrogen production plant will produce 1,875 tons of hydrogen per year. Hydrogen will be distributed via high pressure vessels (40 ft. containers) to various customers in the closer vicinity, opening the hydrogen market to a large variety of customers.

“Hydrogen will also be distributed to the South Hook LNG Terminal and it is proposed that this will be via a new six-inch 10-bar hydrogen pipeline. The option to supply hydrogen to the South Hook LNG terminal via high pressure hydrogen containers was dismissed due to safety considerations at the terminal.

“This application therefore seeks planning permission for a section of below ground hydrogen pipeline within the jurisdiction of Pembrokeshire County Council, which comprises the north part of the route from the hydrogen plant at Impala to the South Hook LNG Terminal, alongside an AGI at the Impala Terminal.”

An officer report accompanying that approval said the southern part of the proposed pipeline was within the jurisdiction of the Pembroke Coast National Park Authority.

A national park officer report for that part, recommending approval, said its section of the pipeline “is a linear parcel of land comprising approximately 0.994 hectares,” adding: “It is mainly the location of a disused railway, now overgrown with scrub and grassland, in the open countryside.”

It added: “The development site is cross-boundary, situated primarily within the jurisdiction of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (the south-west extent), with a small section of the proposed pipeline (and an above-ground installation (AGI)) within the Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) LPA area (the north-east extent).”

The national park side was conditionally approved by planners.