Our CCS Campaign

Stop the CO₂ Pipeline and Liverpool Bay Storage Scheme

Wirral Reform UK is opposing two connected developments:

• The Peak Cluster CO₂ pipeline running from Derbyshire and Staffordshire through Cheshire to the Wirral coast

• The offshore injection of up to 200 million tonnes of CO₂ beneath Liverpool Bay

This is not a minor infrastructure upgrade.
It is the creation of a new, permanent high-pressure CO₂ network across the North West.

We believe it requires far greater scrutiny before approval.

Who IS PEAK CLUSTER?

Peak Cluster proposes:

• Capturing CO₂ from cement and lime plants in Derbyshire and Staffordshire

• Transporting it via a new onshore pipeline

• Routing it through Cheshire

• Connecting to offshore infrastructure near the Wirral

• Injecting it beneath the East Irish Sea for permanent storage

The stated purpose is to support industrial decarbonisation. The reality is the construction of a new long-distance, high-pressure CO₂ pipeline system across multiple counties, terminating beneath Liverpool Bay.

This is a nationally significant infrastructure projec

WHY THIS MATTERS TO WIRRAL

Although much of the capture takes place inland, the storage and offshore risk zone directly affects:

• Liverpool Bay

• Dee and Mersey Estuaries

• Protected marine habitats

• Fisheries and coastal economies

Wirral becomes the final gateway for this CO₂ network.

If anything fails in the long term, the consequences fall here..

CO₂ PIPELINES ARE NOT “NORMAL” GAS PIPELINES

High-pressure dense phase CO₂ behaves differently from natural gas:

• It operates at very high pressure

• It can rapidly expand if released

• It can displace oxygen in low-lying areas

• Fracture propagation risks (“running ductile fracture”) are recognised engineering challenges

• Impurities increase corrosion risk

The UK has limited experience with long-distance, high-pressure CO₂ pipelines of this scale.

This is novel infrastructure for the North West.

THE STORAGE QUESTION

The offshore plan involves injecting industrial CO₂ into depleted gas fields beneath Liverpool Bay.

Key concerns include:

• Long-term seal integrity (caprock performance)

• Chemical reactions underground

• Impurity transparency

• 100-year monitoring certainty

• Clear liability if leakage occurs

Once injected, the material cannot be retrieved.

This is a permanent geological decision.

WHAT WE ARE CALLING FOR

Before further approval

1. Full independent long-term geological modelling (100+ years)

2. Complete impurity disclosure

3. Clear liability framework beyond project life

4. Transparent pipeline safety modelling

5. Proper cross-border marine consultation

6. Public access to full Environmental Impact evidence

If the project is safe, it should withstand full transparency.