As the number of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) schemes increase, Fisher German expects business in this area to grow further as more companies look to neutralise their carbon footprint.
CCS schemes capture carbon dioxide emissions produced from the use of fossil fuels in power generation and industrial processes, preventing the gas from entering the atmosphere. It involves capturing the carbon dioxide, transporting it from one location to another via a pipeline before storing this underground.
Our Utilities & Infrastructure teams have worked on proposed schemes including the Humber CCS – a 74km CCS onshore pipeline running from Selby, in North Yorkshire, to Barmston, on the coast area of East Ridings of Yorkshire – and scoping of the Kingsnorth E.ON UK CCS on the Isle of Grain.
Despite Government funding being withdrawn for National Grid’s proposed Humber CCS, we undertook extensive work on the project providing services including:
- Land referencing multiple corridors - identification of all interests in land which saw more than 1,000 interests identified, stored and linked to land parcels
- Securing voluntary access with more than 250 landowners for all surveys and advice
- Assisting with both statutory and non-statutory consultation events and liaison with the public
- Negotiating with landowners
- Providing consultation on valuation and compulsory purchase
- The creation of statutory documents
- Attendance and presentation of evidence at examining authority hearings
We also undertook land referencing work on the proposed Kingsnorth CCS for E.ON. The project was one of two shortlisted as part of the government’s competition, however the scheme was shelved due to limitations regarding timescales.
We also have experience in large-scale projects which have required Development Consent Orders (DCOs) which CCS schemes could need, depending on their size.
Giles Lister, Head of Utilities and Infrastructure at, said: “There is currently a major focus on companies trying to reduce their carbon footprint, and CCS schemes are one way of achieving this. This is not just confined to those involved in power generation, but also other industries that are looking to neutralise their output.
“We are seeing a large number of companies looking to facilitate connecting power generation and industry to the storage, and this is only set to increase further as businesses strive to meet Government targets which will require the UK to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. At Fisher German, we have experience in CCS schemes as well as a vast involvement in laying pipelines for utility and infrastructure companies, many of which have required DCOs which larger-scale CCS schemes also require.
“We already have the systems and processes in place to manage the efficient delivery of a project against a given timeline, and have direct knowledge of the legislation around the DCO process having worked on a number of projects.”
DCOs are granted by the Secretary of State to authorise the construction and development of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and provide planning consent, compulsory purchase powers and other statutory consents.
One of these projects was the Richborough Connection, where we were the lead in dealing with the land issues associated with obtaining a DCO for a new 20km 400kV overhead line in Kent, from initial consultation on the project through to energizing the line.
This challenging project required total focus from all elements of the project on delivery against a tight programme which, when consented in August 2017, was a significant team achievement.
Another of our current DCO projects is the Southampton to London Pipeline, a proposed 90km oil pipeline running from Fawley refinery near Southampton to Hounslow, in London. Our diverse experience working with infrastructure service providers means we understand the unique requirements of this sector as well as all relevant legislation.
Giles added: “The DCO process involves elements of consent, in terms of both the planning and processes, as well as engineering which results in multiple teams being involved. Our expertise means we are able to successfully communicate and collaborate with these teams as we understand their culture and consequently are able to achieve the objectives that have been set.
“As more companies will be looking to the Government for CCS scheme funding, we would expect our work in this area to increase further in the future.”
Find out more about the services we offer in the Utilities & Infrastructure sector here
