The north of England’s gas distributer, Northern Gas Networks (NGN), is investing around £265,000 to upgrade the ageing gas mains in Gallows Bank, Hexham.

The essential project is part of NGN’s ongoing investment in the gas infrastructure in the area and will involve replacing 1.8km of existing metal gas mains with more durable plastic pipes to ensure the continued, safe and reliable supply of gas to customers in the area for years to come.

The 16 week project, which is due to start on Monday 25 July 2016, has been carefully planned in conjunction with Northumberland County Council and will take place during the school holidays to minimise disruption to the local community.

In order to carry out works safely and efficiently, the works will be carried out in four phases.  During Phase One a road closure will be in place on Eastgate for approximately four weeks from 25 July.  A signed diversion will be in place for motorists, and access for residents and pedestrians will be maintained at all times.

Phase Two of the works will began outside St Wilfreds Lodge and progress to Greenbank Cottage and from Corner Cottage to the junction of Stoneleigh.  The works in this area will take approximately four weeks to complete and the road will be closed, however access will be maintained for residents.
Phase Three of the works will be undertaken on Gallows Bank and will progress to the junction of Tyneview Terrace.  The final phase of work will see NGN replace the gas mains in Tyneview Terrace.  No traffic management will be necessary during the final two phases of the work.

Shops and businesses in the area will remain open as usual throughout the project.

NGN’s Customer Care Officers have been door-knocking local homes and businesses to make customers aware of the work, while on-site signage will advise motorists of the work happening in the area.

NGN recently held a community drop in session in the area where customers were invited to find out more about the work and meet the team.  The session was well attended and provided an opportunity for customers to ask questions and share their views.

Richie Manuel, Construction Services Area Manager for Northern Gas Networks said: “The gas mains in Gallows Bank have been in place since 1935 and have come to the end of their useful life.  We have been working closely with the local council to carefully plan these works to upgrade the pipes and will be doing all we can to minimise disruption to customers.

“We will endeavour to carry out this work as quickly and safely as possible and will be sure to keep customers updated as the work progresses.

“We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience caused during these works and thank everyone for their patience and support while we work to carry out this essential upgrade.”

For further information about the project please contact NGN’s Customer Care team on 0800 040 7766, option 7 or email customercare@northerngas.co.uk.

Anyone that smells gas or suspects Carbon Monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Making use of the UK’s gas network infrastructure offers a practical and affordable solution to the future challenge of heat decarbonisation, according to a new independent report, “2050 Energy Scenarios – The UK Gas Networks role in a 2050 whole energy system.”

The report, prepared by KPMG for Energy Networks Association (ENA), considers the decarbonisation challenge which is driving a change in how we heat homes and businesses in a low carbon future.

The report takes a whole energy system approach and explores ways that the heat sector can be decarbonised, by looking at four possible future scenarios; evolution of gas networks; prosumer (self-generating heating and energy solutions); diversified energy sources with different technologies used across the country; and electric future. Advantages, disadvantages and costs of each scenario are analysed.

The report finds that evolution of the gas networks, injecting green gas such as hydrogen into the grid, offers significant cost savings against alternative low carbon heating sources. It is also shown to be the most practical scenario in terms of technical feasibility and, importantly, acceptance from customers and society. The value that customers place in the convenience and reliability of current heating solutions is shown to be an important consideration in future policy decisions.

The analysis identifies advantages from continued use of the gas network, and concludes that the future is likely to include a range of solutions borrowing from each of the scenarios considered.

Recommendations from the report include:

• Gas and electricity policy decisions need to be firmed up ahead of the next RIIO network price controls, due to the long term nature of network investments.

• More detailed assessment on the acceptance of major change by consumers and society is needed, with regard to both policy and practicality aspects.

• Gas and heat innovation funding and piloting needs to continue, especially in areas that help to firm up the understanding of options for 2050.

• Transport decarbonisation policy needs to be integrated with power and heat decarbonisation policy

ENA Chief Executive David Smith said, “Heat accounts for 45% of the UK’s energy needs and this report demonstrates the scale of the challenge facing the UK as we look to decarbonise the sector in a secure and affordable way.

This analysis places important emphasis on the customer and shows that making efficient use of the extensive gas network available to us in the UK offers an affordable and practical solution to this challenge.”

Robert Hull, Director at KPMG and author of the report comments “Gas currently delivers an essential service, providing heat for UK consumers and businesses. This new KPMG report analyses four scenarios to explore how the UK can meet its 2050 decarbonisation ambitions, and helps set out the benefits and challenges for each. Important strategic choices lie ahead for the industry and this report can help inform the debate.”

Ambitious plans to convert significant parts of the UK gas grid to be 100% hydrogen were outlined today.

The proposals are contained in the H21 Leeds City Gate report, which calls for the gas grid to be converted to hydrogen, starting with the Leeds city region and then for conversion to take place across the country incrementally.

The report finds that converting the UK gas grid to hydrogen will be a major step towards meeting the UK’s carbon reduction targets. Currently, over 30% of all UK carbon emissions come from domestic heating and cooking. A UK-wide conversion to hydrogen gas will reduce heat emissions by a minimum of 73% as well as supporting decarbonisation of transport and localised electrical generation.

The report has been launched by the North of England’s gas distributer, Northern Gas Networks (NGN), Kiwa Gastec, Amec Foster Wheeler and Wales & West Utilities.

Dan Sadler, H21 Project Manager at Northern Gas Networks, said:

“A nationwide conversion to a hydrogen gas grid is technically possible, economically viable and will be a significant contributor to meeting the UK’s decarbonisation targets.

 “This is a major opportunity for our country to become a world leader in hydrogen technology and decarbonisation and would create thousands of new jobs across the UK.”

The report says that a hydrogen gas grid could use the existing underground gas pipes already installed in the UK, and that household appliances can be converted to run on hydrogen with far less disruption and expense than converting to alternative energy sources.

Dan Sadler said: “Households won’t be required to buy new appliances. The conversion process will be similar to that carried out in the 1960s and 70s when 40 million appliances across 14 million households were converted from town gas to natural gas. We’d have special teams, working street by street to make the conversion as smooth as possible for customers with minimal impact in the homes and the highways”.

Welcoming the report, Department for Energy and Climate Change Chief Scientific Adviser John Loughhead OBE, said: “Meeting the challenge of the Climate Change Act is a huge technical and business challenge. The H21 Leeds City Gate project has usefully explored one possible contribution to meeting this challenge. DECC, and wider UK government, are looking forward to seeing the full findings of the project in the final report.”

H21 says the project would be funded through regulatory business plans. This would allow the costs to be paid back over time and, alongside energy efficiency measures, would have a minimal impact on household energy bills. This is the same methodology as that adopted for the original town gas to natural gas conversion during the 1960s and 70s.

The North of England’s gas distributer, Northern Gas Networks (NGN), is investing over £360,000 to safely dismantle and remove its gas compressor station at Chowdene Bank in Lamesley, Newcastle upon Tyne.

The compressor house at Northern Gas Networks’ site in Lamesley, Newcastle.

The major project, which began on Friday 22 April 2016, will take 13 weeks to complete and is being carried out in conjunction with specialist partner, G O’Brien Group.

Gas compressors were once a vital part of the local gas system, responsible for supplying gas to thousands of people across the region.

Installed in 1969 and powered by two giant diesel engines each weighing 43 tons and measuring six metres in length, the Lamesley compressor station boosted the pressure of the gas in order to push it through the network. Travelling through an impressive maze of metal pipework, compressed gas was then directed to a nearby storage facility and released as required.

The Northern Gas Networks compressor site at Lamesley

In its heyday, the Lamesley control room was manned round the clock by a team of operators monitoring banks of complex dials and switches.

Later it became possible to operate the site remotely and further advances in technology and the introduction of modern terminals saw the station fully decommissioned and the storage facility removed in 2013, as part of NGN’s continued investment in modernising the gas network.

The brick-built compressor house, its machinery, metal pipework and boiler house are now in the process of being safely taken down by hand by NGN’s specialist partners O’Brien Group.

NGN is committed to carrying out this work in an environmentally responsible way and will recycle as many materials from the site as possible.

Mark Johnson, from NGN’s Major Projects team said: “The decision has been made to dismantle the gas compressor station at Lamesley as it is no longer in use and costly to maintain.

“In its day, the site was an impressive feat of engineering and to build it would have taken a great deal of skill, knowledge and expertise. The compressor house once performed a vital role in the transportation of gas across the region, but thanks to advances in modern technology it’s no longer needed.

“We’re working with specialist contractor O’Brien Group to carry out the work in a safe and environmentally responsible way.”

For further information about the project please visit www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk or email customercare@northerngas.co.uk.

Anyone that smells gas or suspects Carbon Monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The North of England’s gas distributer, Northern Gas Networks (NGN), is investing around £480,000 to safely dismantle and remove its gas holder tank in Penrith, Cumbria.

The major project is due to begin on Monday 18 July 2016 and will take 20 weeks to complete, carried out in conjunction with specialist partner KDC Contractors Ltd.

For around 100 years gas holders were a vital part of the local gas supply system, responsible for supplying gas to thousands of people across the country.  In more recent times, the holders were used to bolster the network’s supplies during colder weather, and at peak times in the early evenings. However, advances in technology and the enhanced capability of the modern-day gas network, mean that gas holders are no longer in use.

Once the holder has been removed, NGN will then backfill the excavation left behind which will take approximately 12 weeks.  The entire scheme is expected to be complete by March 2017.

NGN is committed to taking down its gas holders in an environmentally responsible way, by recycling all materials taken away from the site.

Mark Johnson, project lead from NGN’s Major Projects team said: “The decision has been made to dismantle the gas holder at Penrith as it is no longer in use and costly to maintain. We’ll be working with a specialist contractor to carry out the work in a safe and environmentally responsible way.

“We know how important these structures can be to some communities and we’ll be working closely with the local community and stakeholders to give them the opportunity to commemorate the structure as it disappears from the skyline, through hosting art workshops in schools in conjunction with our local community artist.”

NGN will be holding a customer information meeting for anyone with questions about the project on Saturday 16 July 2016, at the Conference Room, Penrith Leisure Centre, Southend Road, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 8JH. The meeting will start at 9.30am, and include a short presentation about how the works will be undertaken.

Afterwards, there will be a chance for customers to speak with the Project Manager and ask questions or discuss any concerns.

NGN is encouraging people to share their memories of the gas holder at Penrith through its ‘Gas Holder Memories’ campaign by emailing gasholdermemories@northerngas.co.uk, using #gasholdermemories on Twitter or Facebook, or in writing to: Northern Gas Networks, 1^st Floor, 1 Emperor Way, Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland, SR3 3XR.

NGN is aiming to demolish 23 of the region’s gas holders by 2021 as part of its continued investment in modernising the gas network.

A short film has been made a short film to commemorate NGN’s gas holders as they disappear from the regions skyline.  The film is available to watch at: http://www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk/ngn-and-you/environment/cleaner-and-greener/case-studies/

NGN’s major project at Penrith, Cumbria, will be registered as a Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) site.

The CCS is a non-profit independent organisation founded by the construction industry to improve its image. NGN is registering all major projects and larger gas mains replacement sites where work is expected to take more than six weeks to complete with the Scheme.

For further information about the project please visit www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk, contact NGN’s Customer Care team on 0800 040 7766 or email customercare@northerngas.co.uk.

Anyone that smells gas or suspects Carbon Monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The north of England’s gas distributer, Northern Gas Networks (NGN), is investing £90,000 to upgrade the ageing gas distribution network at Micklefield Lane in Rawdon, Leeds.

The major project is part of NGN’s ongoing development of infrastructure in the area and involves replacing 700m of existing metal gas mains with more durable plastic pipes to ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas to customers in the area for years to come.

The project will begin on Monday 18 July and is expected to last around eight weeks with an estimated completion date of Friday 9 September. It has been planned in conjunction with Leeds City Council to ensure all works are completed with as little disruption as possible.

Engineers will be working Monday to Friday between 8am and 5pm on the following dates: Lombard Street 18 July – 29 July, The Row 25 July – 29 July, London Lane 1 August – 5 August, London Street 1 August – 5 August, Apperley Lane 1 August – 19 August, Back Lombard Street 8 August – 12 August, Lombard Street 8 August – 12 August, Princess Street 8 August – 12 August, Micklefield Lane 15 August – 19 August, Springwood Road 22 August – 2 September, Chevington Court 29 August – 2 September, Springbank 5 September – 9 September.

In order to complete the work safely and efficiently, there will be several traffic management measures in place.

Two-way temporary traffic lights will be introduced on Apperley Lane from Monday 1 August to Monday 8 August, and these will be manually operated at peak times to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.

There will be a road closure in place on Apperley Lane for traffic leaving Bradford only, between Monday 8 August and Monday 15 August between 9.30am and 6.30pm. A diversion via Micklefield Lane will be used between 6.30pm and 9.30am.

There will be no access to Apperley Lane for traffic coming from Bradford between Monday 15 August and Wednesday 24 August, however there will be a diversion route in place via Micklefield Lane.

Between Tuesday 30 August and Monday 5 September there will be a road closure on Micklefield Lane with a diversion route in place via Apperley Lane.

Local bus services are likely to experience some delays during the work.

Russ Oxley, Construction Services Area Manager Northern Gas Networks said: “We have been working closely with Leeds City Council to carefully plan these works during the school holiday period, in order to minimise disruption to customers.

“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused, and thank our customers for their patience and support in getting the project completed as quickly and safely as possible.”

For further information about the scheme please contact NGN’s Customer Care team on 0800 040 7766, option 7 or email customercare@northerngas.co.uk

Anyone that smells gas or suspects Carbon Monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Emergency engineers from the north of England’s gas distributer, Northern Gas Networks (NGN) were called to a reported gas escape near York Road, Leeds today (Tuesday 5th July 2016).

A smell of gas was reported following third party damage to a gas main near Dyrons Motorcycles.

NGN engineers are now on site working to repair the main as quickly as possible however a small number of properties on Back Osmondthorpe Lane are currently experiencing low gas pressure and several are without gas.

Chris Nevison, Customer Operations Area Manager for NGN said: “The safety of members of public is our number one priority.  Our engineers are on site and working hard to repair the gas escape.  If you smell gas or are experiencing low gas pressure please call 0800 111 999 or speak to an engineer on site.

“We’d like to apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused and thank everyone for their patience while we work to return gas supplies to normal.”

Northern Gas Networks Customer Care team is available on 0800 040 7766, option 7 or you can email customercare@northerngas.co.uk.

Anyone that smells gas or suspects Carbon Monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

The north of England’s gas distributer, Northern Gas Networks (NGN), is investing around £120,000 to upgrade the ageing gas mains in Green Dykes Lane, York.

The essential project is part of NGN’s ongoing investment in the gas infrastructure in the area and will involve replacing 450m of existing metal gas mains with more durable plastic pipes to ensure the continued, safe and reliable supply of gas to customers in the area for years to come.

The four-week project will start the week beginning Monday 25 July 2016 and is due to be finished in mid-August.

The work has been carefully planned in conjunction with York City Council and will take place during the school holidays to minimise disruption to the local community. Shops and businesses in the area will remain open as usual.

In order to carry out works safely and efficiently, a road closure will be placed on Green Dykes Lane for approximately four weeks from Monday 25 July 2016.

The road closure will be in place from the junction of Thief Lane up to the Hull Road (A1079) junction. A signed diversion route will be in place for motorists, and access for residents and pedestrians will be maintained at all times.

NGN’s Customer Care Officers have been door-knocking local homes and businesses to make customers aware of the work, while on-site signage will advise motorists of the scheme.

Engineers will be working Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm.

Robert Hope, Construction Services Area Manager for Northern Gas Networks said: “We have been working closely with the local council to carefully plan these works and will be doing all we can to minimise disruption to customers.

“We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience caused during these works, and thank our customers for their patience and support in getting these works completed as quickly as possible.”

For further information about the project please contact NGN’s Customer Care team on 0800 040 7766, option 7 or email customercare@northerngas.co.uk.

Anyone that smells gas or suspects Carbon Monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The north of England’s gas distributer, Northern Gas Networks (NGN), is investing £50,000 to upgrade the ageing gas distribution network at Portland Way, Leeds.

The project is part of NGN’s ongoing development of infrastructure in the area and involves replacing around 260m of existing metal gas mains with more durable plastic pipes to ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas to customers in the area for years to come.

The scheme, which starts on Monday 11 July and is expected to last around four weeks with an estimated completion date of Friday 5 August, has been planned in conjunction with Leeds City Council to ensure all works are completed with as little disruption as possible.

The project will be completed in two phases. Phase One will begin on Monday 11 July and last approximately two weeks, taking place directly on Portland Way.

During this phase, the inside lane of Portland Way will be closed for the full two weeks.  The layby at this section will also be suspended and there will be a temporary footpath closure next to the Woodhouse building site. Access will be maintained for pedestrians at all times via existing footways or temporary walkways.

Phase Two will start on Monday 25 July and last around two weeks with work taking place directly on Portland Gate.  During this phase, the Civic Hall Car Park entrance from Portland Crescent will be closed from Monday 25 July to Monday 8 August. Access to the car park can be gained via the entrance on Portland Way.

NGN engineers will be working from Monday to Friday between 8am and 5pm.

Shops and businesses will remain open as usual.

Russ Oxley, Construction Services Area Manager for Northern Gas Networks said: “We have been working closely with Leeds City Council to carefully plan these works in order to minimise any disruption to customers.

“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused, and thank our customers for their patience and support in getting this project completed as quickly as possible.”

For further information about the scheme please contact NGN’s Customer Care team on 0800 040 7766, option 7 or email customercare@northerngas.co.uk

Anyone that smells gas or suspects Carbon Monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

ENDS

About Northern Gas Networks

Northern Gas Networks own all the gas mains in the North East, most of Yorkshire and northern Cumbria transporting gas to 2.7 million homes and businesses.

The network consists of 37,000km of gas mains, enough to stretch from Leeds to Sydney, Australia and back.

Our mains replacement programme will see 3,800km of old metal gas main replaced with modern plastic equivalents by 2021.

For more information please visit our website www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk

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Follow us @NGNgas

You can contact Northern Gas Network’s press office on: 0113 3227950 during office hours (between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday – Friday, excluding Bank Holidays) or call the out of hours service on 0113 3227978 at any other time.

You can contact the Northern Gas Networks Customer Care team on 0800 040 7766, option 7. The team is available between 8am and 10pm Monday to Friday, and 8am and 5pm on Saturday.