The global economy is making the transition to a low-carbon future, which is vital to retaining safe levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This includes the construction industry, which is increasingly moving towards sustainable building methods and materials.

Modern society needs cement and lime, but we must find ways to produce them sustainably. Carbon dioxide is an unavoidable by-product of cement and lime manufacturing as it comes from the limestone itself. Simply switching to electricity or low carbon fuels in the manufacturing process would not substantially reduce emissions from these industries, so capturing and storing the carbon dioxide is the only viable option.

The UK is well-placed to create a new market for green cement and lime thanks to abundant high-grade limestone resources and vast offshore reservoirs that are ideal for the permanent storage of captured CO₂.

Peak Cluster will help secure a sustainable domestic supply of materials that are critical for UK infrastructure and industries. It will help us build a resilient low-carbon cement industry — to get Britain building and to export high quality products across the globe — creating jobs, strengthening communities and powering economic growth.

Overall, the project will safeguard and create more than 13,000 jobs, ensure a sustainable, domestic supply of building material to support the delivery of vital infrastructure, attract around £5 billion of investment into the UK, and generate around £1.8 billion in value for the economy.

From 2030, Peak Cluster will cut over 3 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year, which is almost a quarter of annual emissions for the region, and support the industry’s transition to carbon neutral products.

Four major cement and lime producers have come together to form Peak Cluster, a project aiming to secure a sustainable future for the UK’s cement and lime industries.

The infrastructure we develop will capture the CO₂ as it is emitted, before transporting it via a proposed pipeline to be stored under the seabed in Morecambe Bay.

Peak Cluster will be the world’s largest cement decarbonisation project, bringing significant investment to the region, protecting existing jobs and creating thousands of new roles during construction.

The project team, and specialist consultants, are currently establishing the best locations for Peak Cluster’s proposed pipeline route and infrastructure. In parallel, the cement and lime plants are deciding on the most suitable technology and location on their existing for the facilities which will capture the carbon dioxide emissions.

To determine the best locations and approach for the infrastructure – including the underground pipeline, supporting infrastructure and the carbon capture facilities – we will be undertaking detailed environmental studies and asking for input from local communities and stakeholders in consultations in 2026.

Progressive Energy is leading the development of the project alongside Holcim’s Cauldon plant, Tarmac’s Tunstead cement plant, Buxton Lime’s lime works at Tunstead and Breedon’s Hope plant. Each will each develop carbon capture facilities at their sites. These will link to the pipeline which will transport the captured emissions to the carbon storage facility.

Peak Cluster Limited (PCL) is funding the development of the onshore pipeline from the facilities which capture carbon dioxide emissions at the cement and lime works to the infrastructure which compress the CO₂ near the coast. PCL is a special purpose joint venture company between the cement and lime operators (Breedon, Tarmac, Holcim and Buxton Lime), the project developer (Progressive Energy), Summit Energy Evolution Limited (a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation), and the UK National Wealth Fund.

Spirit Energy is developing the Morecambe Net Zero (MNZ) project which is predominantly offshore and also includes the Coastal AGI and pipework from there onwards.

Peak Cluster will use a technology called Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to reduce the carbon dioxide emitted from entering the atmosphere. The CCS process captures the carbon dioxide emissions before transporting it in an underground pipeline to a secure storage site.

We will capture up to 95% of the CO₂ emissions currently being emitted as cement and lime is produced on site at the plants. The CO₂ will then be compressed so that it can be transported safely by underground pipeline, to be stored in carefully selected depleted gas reservoirs underneath the seabed under Morecambe Bay in the East Irish Sea.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has been used since the early 1970s and there are more than 8,000 km of CO₂ pipelines operating globally. Globally, there are more than 600 CCS projects – either in development, or operating. The UK’s first two CCS projects, HyNet in Cheshire and North Wales and East Coast Cluster in Teesside, are both in construction.

Modern society needs cement and lime, but we must find ways to produce them sustainably.

Carbon dioxide is released as an unavoidable by-product of cement and lime manufacturing. Simply switching to electricity or low carbon fuels would not substantially reduce emissions from these industries; therefore capturing and storing the carbon dioxide is the only option. Peak Cluster will cut over 3 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year, which is almost a quarter of annual emissions for the region, and support the industry’s transition to produce carbon neutral products.

The UK is well-placed to create a new market for green cement and lime thanks to abundant high-grade limestone resources and vast offshore reservoirs that are ideal for the permanent storage of captured CO₂.

In the early feasibility studies, we considered a range of options to deliver cement decarbonisation, to ensure that any project to remove carbon emissions from the plants would be delivered in the most efficient way possible. The two most viable options were:

1. Move the cement and lime production plants to the coast and transport the raw materials from where they are found naturally in the Peak District by rail or road (our research suggests around 1,000 HGV movements a day and 10 long trains per day).
2. Capture and transport the carbon emissions to the coast via a new pipeline buried underground.

In order to sustain a cement and lime industry within the UK, which can also remain globally competitive, the Peak Cluster cement and lime manufacturers have come together to jointly develop the infrastructure which enables them to transition to low carbon production. To do so, it is vital to capture the emissions at source.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is widely recognised as an important technology to decarbonise the cement and lime industry.  Both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the UK’s Committee on Climate Change agree that this is an essential step to ensuring the sustainable production of these vital materials in the UK.

Capturing and storing carbon dioxide is a safe, proven process that is already being carried out in a range of industries around the world including Norway’s Sleipner and Snohvit projects, which have been capturing a million tonnes of CO₂ each year for 27 years and 15 years respectively.

There are many other projects being developed globally including Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood in Flintshire and Encyclis’ Energy from Waste plant in Cheshire.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is released as an unavoidable by-product of cement and lime manufacturing. Simply switching to electricity or low carbon fuels to support its production would not substantially reduce emissions from these industries. Alternative methods for low-carbon cement production are being explored however, these are in the early stages of development and not yet available at the scale required to support the UK’s construction needs. Therefore, capturing and storing the carbon dioxide is the only option to make a lasting impact on reducing emissions. You can read more about alternate cements in the Mineral Products Association fact sheet: FS_12_Novel_cements_low_energy_low_carbon_cements.pdf and about the need to decarbonise industry in the Royal Society’s paper: Carbon dioxide capture and storage: A route to net zero for power and industry

Peak Cluster would remove 3 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. Matching that with trees would mean planting across an area the size of the Peak District National Park every 2½ years. The UK simply does not have enough available land to plant trees at this scale (555 square miles) without giving up large areas of productive farmland. This is why carbon capture offers a practical way to cut emissions from industries—like cement and lime.

Managing climate change will require a range of activities and technologies, which are all important. Carbon capture and storage has been identified as the most effective technology for reducing the large-scale emissions from our industry such as cement and lime.

Once operational, Peak Cluster will cut over 3 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year, which is almost a quarter of Staffordshire and Derbyshire’s annual emissions.

Broadly, the project can be segmented into three sections, each with their own infrastructure requirements:

Carbon capture

Carbon capture facilities will be required at the four cement and lime plants in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Each plant is exploring the best type of technology for its unique circumstances. The appearance and footprint of each capture facility will depend on the technology selected. We will know more information on these facilities in time for the public consultation in 2026.

Carbon dioxide transportation

We will build an underground pipeline to transport the carbon dioxide emissions from the cement and lime plants to the store.  We anticipate that the pipeline itself will have a diameter of around 24-36 inches. Once the pipeline is constructed, we will restore the land above to its original condition. There will be no infrastructure visible from ground level, aside from some small marker posts.

Along the pipeline route, we will also develop a series of Above Ground Installations (or AGIs) and Block Valve Stations (BVS).

• Above Ground Installations (AGIs) are key points along the pipeline to ensure that the system can run efficiently and safely. They make it easier to carry out regular maintenance checks.
• Block Valve Stations (BVSs) are also located at regular intervals along the pipeline, and can isolate sections when required, ensuring safety when carrying out with maintenance or preventing danger in unlikely emergencies.

Carbon dioxide storage: Before carbon dioxide goes into permanent storage, we need to transfer it between the land and the sea.  To do this we need to develop:

• Underground storage
• Compressor stations that pressurise the CO₂

The carbon capture facilities would capture 90% of the CO₂ produced during cement and lime manufacturing. As the CO₂ is generated, the facilities would:

• capture it directly as cement and lime is produced
• clean and purify it so it meets the required standards
• compress it so it can be safely transported
• prepare it for transfer into the pipeline network.

This means the majority of CO₂ from the production process can be captured and permanently locked away, instead of being emitted into our atmosphere as it is at the moment.

The capture facilities would be sited at each existing cement and lime plant. They would require both new infrastructure to be built and existing plants to be reconfigured. They are likely to include a range of supporting features, such as:

• parking, access and maintenance routes
• new chemical storage areas
• new or upgraded utility connections
• an aboveground installation to transfer CO₂ from the capture facility into the pipeline
• landscaping and drainage areas
• lighting for safe access and operations

The detailed design will be developed later in the project, once further engineering studies have been completed.

Whilst the carbon capture facilities would be situated on operational industrial sites, managing noise will be an important part of their design. A detailed noise modelling assessment will be carried out to help ensure that appropriate controls and mitigation measures are put in place from the outset.

We will ensure that our infrastructure is designed to capture as much carbon dioxide as possible. As part of the carbon capture sites’ Environmental Permits, which is a condition for them to operate, we are expecting the Environment Agency to set out minimum levels that each site must capture. This is a heavily regulated process to ensure the highest standards of safety and efficiency.

Above Ground Installations (AGIs) would be located along the pipeline route to transfer CO₂ and connect pipelines. They also ensure the system runs efficiently and safely by enabling maintenance and regular checks on the pipeline to be carried out.

Connection AGIs give other industries the opportunity to connect to the pipeline network in the future. This means the CO₂ pipeline and MNZ store could support a wider range of local and national industries, protecting skilled jobs and helping keep essential materials produced here in the UK.

Before the captured CO₂ is transferred offshore to the MNZ stores beneath the East Irish Sea, it first needs to be compressed at the Coastal Above Ground Installation (AGI). This site would also be used for metering and monitoring to ensure the system operates safely and efficiently.

The Coastal AGI would run continuously with only a small number of staff required for operational support and security. Routine inspections and maintenance would take place through occasional site visits, meaning day-to-day activity at the site would be limited.

Block Valve Stations (BVS) allow us to continually monitor the pipeline remotely and to isolate specific sections when needed—for example, to ensure safety when carrying out maintenance work. They also help us to limit the amount of CO₂ that could be released in the very unlikely event of an emergency, by enabling rapid closure of valves along the pipeline.

Whilst each of the connection and capture facility AGIs would be different, their maximum footprint is likely be around 100m x 100m— about the same size as one and a half football pitches. A typical BVS is around 50m x 50m.

Both BVS and AGI sites would likely contain waist-high pipework; a single story electrical, control and instrumentation kiosk; and space for working vehicle access. The sites would be enclosed by a chain-link or palisade fence and would likely be screened from view by landscaping or hedgerow planting.

The number and exact locations of the Block Valve Stations (BVSs) will be confirmed later in the project. This will be based on further detailed engineering studies, safety assessments, and environmental considerations. We’ll share this information with communities and stakeholders as part of the next phase of consultation.

We’re currently exploring two possible search areas for the Coastal AGI on the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula: the landfall zone and the inland zone.

The Coastal AGI would require a maximum site area of around 300m x 180m (excluding access). This means it would occupy around 10% of the landfall zone, or around 4% of the inland zone.

We would expect the Coastal AGIto include a compressor, associated equipment, and a chimney or vent stack. The stack could be up to 50 metres high and around one metre wide. The Coastal AGI will comprise buildings and above ground structures, which will be no higher than 15 metres high (approximately 4-5 storeys). The vent stack is used only during occasional maintenance to safely remove CO₂ from the Coastal AGI equipment and local pipeline. It would not be used to vent CO₂ from the entire pipeline.

In addition to this core equipment, the 300m x 180m site would also include:

• lighting, parking and safe access facilities
• new or upgraded utility connections
• landscaping and drainage areas
• staff welfare and maintenance facilities
• control kiosk housing electrical equipment
• above and belowground pipework and valves
• instrumentation and sensors for monitoring and safe operation

Together, this infrastructure supports the safe, efficient and continuous operation of the Coastal AGI.

Onshore: There would likely be around 200km of new onshore pipeline, which would be buried underground. It would run from the cement and lime plants in Staffordshire and Derbyshire, to the Coastal Above Ground Installation (AGI) near the end of the Wirral.

The route of the pipeline and the design of the associated infrastructure is still being worked upon, and will be informed both by feedback gathered from local communities during the consultation and by the outcomes of the engineering and environmental studies. Once our proposed route has been finalised, we’ll know the exact length.

Offshore: The offshore pipeline (including the section from the landfall where the pipelines meet the sea) will be around 90km long. Work to determine the route—and therefore the exact length—is ongoing.

Onshore: We expect the buried onshore pipeline, which runs from the cement and lime plants in Staffordshire and Derbyshire to the Coastal Above Ground Installation (AGI) near the end of the Wirral, to be up to 91.4cm (36 inches) in diameter.

Offshore: From the Coastal AGI at the Wirral to mean low water springs (the lowest tide level we expect to see on this area of coastline), there would be up to two buried offshore pipelines, which would each be up to 1.1metres (42 inches) in diameter.

In our early feasibility studies, we looked at different ways to reduce carbon emissions from cement and lime plants to find the most efficient approach. The two options were:

1. Move the cement and lime plants to the coast and transport the raw materials from the Peak District via road or rail (around 1,000 HGV trucks and 10 long trains per day).
2. Capture the carbon emissions at the existing plants and transport them via a new underground pipeline to the coast

After reviewing both, we decided that the option with the least disruption and the most long-term environmental and economic benefits was to build an underground pipeline to carry carbon dioxide from plants in Derbyshire and Staffordshire to a storage site under the seabed at Morecambe Bay.

The Peak Cluster team is considering all options and working to determine the best route for the pipeline.

We have already determined a wide search area (land where the pipeline could potentially be laid) which will take into account built-up areas, existing infrastructure and areas of environmental importance such as Delamere Forest, Alderley Edge, Jodrell Bank and Solomon’s Temple to ensure the location of the pipeline is appropriate and causes the least disruption to the local area.

We are now holding our Phase 1 consultation to seek your views and insights on considerations we should take into account. Your feedback, alongside detailed environmental studies, will help us to determine a more specific route for the pipeline.

The route of the pipeline is an iterative process. As such, we anticipate there will be changes to the final proposed pipeline route, informed by the feedback we receive during our consultations and our ongoing environmental and engineering studies.

To develop the proposed scoping corridor, which will connect the cement and lime plants in Derbyshire and Staffordshire to the MNZ stores in the East Irish Sea, initially the Peak Cluster and MNZ teams used publicly available data to identify and consider the best options.

We investigated the entire coastline from North Wales to Cumbria to identify suitable locations for the onshore pipeline to connect to offshore infrastructure. We then mapped any constraints (things that may influence the project location) between the capture plants and the potential shore areas. These constraints included:

• existing built-up areas
• topography
• ecologically designated sites
• scheduled monuments
• listed buildings
• other factors which are identifiable using national level records and databases.

When we completed this review and accounted for these constraints, we arrived at the route shown in the consultation.

We recognise that national-level data alone cannot provide all of the information that we need to finalise the pipeline route. That’s why we’re consulting at this early stage of the design process. The consultation will enable us to gather important feedback from stakeholders, communities and landowners. We’ll use this feedback, alongside our ongoing environmental and engineering studies, to refine the route and develop more detailed proposals for the next stage of consultation. This will include:

• Refining the potential pipeline corridor to 100m
• identifying more specific locations for above ground infrastructure
• defining any temporary construction requirements such as compounds and off-route access.

Both the River Dee and the Mersey Estuary are internationally protected Ramsar wetlands. This means they are recognised for their ecological importance under an international conservation treaty and are safeguarded because of their unique habitats and wildlife.

Because of these protections, they are not suitable locations for major infrastructure, including pipelines.

The North West is heavily populated with energy intensive industry which must be decarbonised  to ensure the businesses located there remain viable as the UK transitions to a low-carbon future. Like Peak Cluster, HyNet is developing the infrastructure to unlock ways for this industry to decarbonise.

However, HyNet and Peak Cluster are two distinct projects, with separate timelines which do not align.  We intend to connect the Peak Cluster pipeline to Spirit Energy’s Morecambe Net Zero (MNZ) for CO₂ storage, because it has the capacity to store the levels of carbon dioxide we need to lock away and because it will be ready at the same time as Peak Cluster begins to capture carbon dioxide.

To store the amount of carbon dioxide produced by industry, both projects are needed for the UK industry to continue to operate in a low carbon future.  Liverpool Bay CCS, which serves HyNet, has a smaller capacity than MNZ – it can take around 190 million tonnes of CO₂ whereas MNZ will have a capacity close to 1 billion tonnes of CO₂. For that reason, the Liverpool Bay CCS pipeline could not store the CO₂ captured by Peak Cluster – which we anticipate will require the transportation of over 3 million tonnes every year.

Gas and liquids have been transported using pipelines for over 100 years in the UK. There are currently around 27,000km of high-pressure pipelines carrying natural gas and a range of other fluids, including aviation fuel, ethylene and other chemical products. The practice is very well-established and robustly regulated, and the UK has a global reputation for safety in this field.

Our engineering design meets recognised standards and regulations, established best practice and proven design methods and robust control safety measures to ensure risks are minimised to levels accepted by the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency. As with UK’s high-pressure natural gas pipelines, the Peak Cluster CO₂ pipelines are being designed to BS PD8010 standards. These standards ensure our pipeline design considers an extensive list of risk factors including corrosion risk, third party damage, proximity to communities, flooding, ground movement and so on.

We’re also implementing industry leading leak-detection technologies along the pipeline. This would likely be a Distributed Fibre Optic Sensor (DFOS) system or similar, which would run the full length of the pipeline.

It’s worth noting that this live-monitoring technology is not used on the older natural‑gas networks, so it represents a significant step forward in monitoring capability. It would allow us to detect issues in real time and quickly isolate sections of the pipeline, using the relevant block valves, if needed.

There are well understood geological formations under the seabed in the East Irish Sea which can store CO₂. This includes depleted natural gas fields in Morecambe Bay with sufficient capacity for storage requirements for CO₂ from across the region for the foreseeable future.

Carbon capture and storage is a well-established, proven technology. For example, there are projects which have been successfully storing CO₂ for more than 25 years.

Carbon storage utilises depleted gas reservoirs, which are typically between 0.8-3km below the seabed.  Natural gas has remained safely trapped in geological structures deep below the surface of the seabed, such as sandstone reservoirs, for millions of years, under an impermeable layer of hundreds of metres of shale, mudstones, and salt. We have extracted this gas, for uses such as heating our homes, meaning we understand the structures very well.  Now the reservoirs are empty and ready for their next phase of life – supporting us with a transition to a low carbon future – CO₂ will be stored within MNZ in the same way as the natural gas has been for millions of years.

CO₂ storage sites are carefully chosen to ensure the highest confidence in permanent storage and there are rigorous checks and monitoring procedures to ensure the CO₂ remains safely stored. These procedures are required by carbon capture and storage regulations before a project is allowed to proceed.

A full assessment of the integrity of the MNZ store will be undertaken, as required by the regulator prior to licensing of an undersea storage site. The integrity of the store will then be monitored throughout the filling and long-term storage phases.

Arrangements for monitoring the store once carbon dioxide has begun to be stored are still under development, but it is expected that after the storage site is closed, Spirit Energy, the owners of MNZ, will be responsible for monitoring any CO₂ leakage and resolving any issues until the responsibility is handed over to the national authorities. This monitoring is expected to continue for at least 20 years before the handover.

The cement and lime industry has been a part of the region’s rich industrial heritage for more than a century.  However, as we move into the future low carbon economy, the sector needs to adopt new, sustainable ways of operation and production.

Peak Cluster will enable this transition, ensuring the region remains an attractive location for the cement and lime plants, providing jobs and stimulating investment.

In doing so, the project will:

• Protect around 2,000 existing jobs at the cement plants in Derbyshire and Staffordshire
• Create around 1,500 jobs during the construction phase of the project

Together, Peak Cluster and the Morecambe Net Zero (MNZ) offshore storage facility will safeguard and create more than 13,000 jobs by 2050.

Cement and lime are essential to our way of life, and the UK economy. The cement sector produces a vital material, essential to the production of concrete that is, in turn, used to build the nation’s infrastructure including roads, railways, bridges, buildings and homes.

Historically, the UK has been virtually self-sufficient in cement production, with 75%-80% of the cement used in the UK (of which around 40% comes from the producers in the Peak District which this project will decarbonise) produced in the UK. By comparison, 80% of timber and 60% of steel is imported from around the world, competing with UK manufacturing.

Lime is a strategically important product for the UK. It is a fundamental, but often unseen, ingredient for many key UK industries. Not only is lime fundamental to construction and manufacturing industries, but it is also used to purify drinking water, remove toxic chemicals from soil and groundwater, and make steel and glass.

The UK has plenty of secure, long-term sources of the raw materials needed to make lime and cement – especially in areas like the Peak District – helping the country stay self-sufficient.

These vital industries have provided jobs for generations of families and boosted the local economy. In the Peak District alone over 1,000 people are directly employed in the production of cement and lime.

However, UK production of these vital materials is falling. Cement production now at its lowest level since the 1950s, and we’re currently importing a third of what we use from overseas, leaving us vulnerable to price increases and supply issues. To remain competitive on the world stage, we must transition to more sustainable production processes – which Peak Cluster will enable.

The Peak District’s unique geology and extensive mineral deposits mean that the cement and lime industries have been a feature of its landscape and part of its rich industrial heritage for more than a century.

The Peak District has the potential to produce what will be some of the first low carbon cement and lime products anywhere in the world.

The alternative, to relocate the production of cement and lime out of the Peak District, would mean that quarried limestone and other materials would need to be transported by road or rail from the Peak District to the production facilities. This would lead to a substantial, and disruptive, rise in road and rail freight, as well as additional transport emissions.

Globally, we use around 4 billion tonnes of cement every year. This is approximately 14 billion cubic metres of concrete. By 2050, the Global Cement & Concrete Association expects the cement production to rise to around 20 billion cubic metres as population growth and urbanisation increases in Latin America, India and Africa. This is often compared to the construction of a new New York every month between now and 2050. Because it already has a lot of well-developed infrastructure, the UK uses a much lower amount of cement and concrete each year per capita, but its cement market still equates to around 15 million tonnes per year.

The short answer is yes, although it should be noted that concrete is the second most used substance on the planet, after water. This means that, even after reductions have been made, concrete usage will still be incredibly high and so action beyond reducing its use is essential as we tackle climate change.

In the developing world, concrete use is increasing. To keep levels of cement use (and production) static, the construction sector is aiming to reduce the amount of cement used in concrete by improving efficiencies at every point along the value chain, from design, to construction, to reuse and recycling at the end of life. It is anticipated that this increased efficiency can offset increased demand to help cement use remain static, otherwise the predicted use of cement would grow from 4 to 5 billion tonnes.

Historically, the two main alternatives to concrete for construction purposes have been either steel or timber, though neither material can offer the versatility that cement does. Currently, steel is even more carbon intensive per tonne than concrete, although that sector also has plans to decarbonise via both increased recycling rates and novel production methods.

Whilst timber can also be used, currently around 80% of the UK’s construction timber is imported – making it a more expensive option than it would be if we were to produce it domestically, which means that it often becomes unaffordable, particularly at a time when budgets are stretched.

Reducing these imports would require huge areas of land to be dedicated to timber production, as timber requires around 50 times more land to support the same amount of construction as an aggregates quarry. If just 25% of the concrete used globally each year was replaced by timber, the total global forest cover would need to increase by about 14%, a land area one and a half times the size of India.

These timber-producing forests also tend to be monocultures (i.e., planted with just one species of fast-growing trees), which means biodiversity is limited. Timber construction also poses other potential issues, such as flood- and fire-resistance.

This region is loved for its exceptional landscape and wildlife. Peak Cluster’s delivery partners have a strong track-record of protecting and enhancing the natural environment and are committed to maintaining the highest standards wherever they operate.

Peak Cluster will avoid sensitive habitats, and after the pipeline is installed, we will restore the land above to its original condition, including replanting or replacing any hedges, walls or fences.

We have committed to increasing biodiversity across the entire project area – including the Peak District and along the proposed route through Cheshire and the Wirral peninsula. We will work carefully, and in close collaboration with local stakeholders, using restoration activities to have a positive influence on the landscape. ‘Biodiversity Net Gain’ means that habitats for wildlife must be left in a measurably better state than they were before the development. This is a legal requirement for major infrastructure projects such as Peak Cluster and one that we take very seriously.

We will construct our new on-site carbon dioxide capture plants on brownfield land, wherever possible, and carry out construction and carbon capture operations in ways that protect wildlife and natural habitats.

The primary objective of Peak Cluster is to reduce the environmental impact of CO₂ produced by cement and lime production, by capturing CO₂ and safely transporting it for permanent storage in stores under the East Irish seabed.

Throughout the development of the project, we are considering the environment.  This includes:

• Undertaking a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment as part of our project development, to identify and address environmental considerations.
• Taking measures to minimise impact on the environment and sensitive habitats.
• Committing to increasing habitats for wildlife—known as biodiversity net gain—across the entire project area including the Peak District and along the proposed route through Cheshire and the Wirral peninsula. We’re working in collaboration with local stakeholders, such as Nature North and local wildlife trusts, to identify the best ways to do this.
• After the pipeline is constructed, we would restore the land above to its original condition, including replanting or replacing any hedges, walls or fences.
• We would construct our new on-site carbon dioxide capture plants on brownfield land, wherever possible, and carry out construction and carbon capture operations in ways that protect wildlife and natural habitats.

When designing large infrastructure projects, like Peak Cluster, consulting with those who live and work around the project area allows insight, information and views to be gathered. By working together early in the process, communities, landowners and stakeholders can feed in to help shape our plans before we decided on our preferred route and locations. Your views matter and by engaging now, we’re able to gather valuable insight to help shape our proposals.

Because we’re still in this listening and information gathering stage, our plans for the project are evolving, and we do not yet have details to share on all aspects of the project.

As a result, the information we can provide at this stage—particularly on the route and associated infrastructure—remains at a high level and we’re not able to fully answer some of the enquiries we’ve received. However, these will become clearer as the project continues to develop.

Over the coming months, we’ll use the feedback we’ve heard during this consultation, alongside further engineering and environmental studies, to continue to build our proposals for the project.

We’ll hold a more detailed phase 2 consultation later in the year, at which point, we’ll have more specific information on our plans to share.

As a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP), Peak Cluster will need to submit a type of planning application called a Development Consent Order to the government’s Planning Inspectorate. The final decision on whether Peak Cluster will receive planning approval will be made by the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.

During the development of the project, alongside our continuous engagement, we will undertake periods of consultation across the next year (2026). We will liaise closely with stakeholders including local councils and the Peak District National Park Authority, Natural England and Historic England.

We understand how important the cement and lime industry is to the region, and also how much the local environment means to the communities living in and around it.

Gaining input from a wide range of stakeholders is critically important and will help us develop a project that is able to anticipate, understand and address potential local impacts.

Throughout the project, we will work closely with communities and organisations to develop an approach that minimises disruption and impact, and ensures work is delivered safely and efficiently.

We will listen closely to those who are interested or may be affected by Peak Cluster to hear their thoughts, views and suggestions and let you know how your feedback has shaped our thinking.

We will be running:

• Community drop-in events
• Webinars
• Attending community events
• Attending local meetings
• Consultations

We have just opened the first phase of our public consultation to listen to your views in order to help inform decisions about where we should place the Peak Cluster infrastructure.

It is very important to us that you have a chance to find out about the project and give us your views on our plans before we move to a more detailed design phase.

We are currently running a public consultation to enable you to provide feedback and information to us.

This consultation will run from Monday 12th January until 11:59pm on Friday 27th February 2025.

To look at our plans and give us your views, click here.

Yes, we are holding a range of in-person events and online sessions to provide you with a chance to find out more about the project and ask your questions directly to the project team.

You can find out more about these events, or register your place for an online session, by following this link.

If you have any general enquiries about Peak Cluster and our consultation process, you can get in touch by:

• Emailing: consultation@peakcluster.co.uk
• Calling us on 08000 129135
• Writing to us at FREEPOST PEAK CLUSTER

If you are a landowner, or your question concerns land, please contact our Lands team by emailing peakcluster@adas.co.uk.

Before we submit the plans for our proposed project to the Planning Inspectorate, we will develop a Construction and Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) which sets out our specific approach to constructing the project, including our approach to laying the pipeline.

Whilst we do not have all the details yet, we want to take an iterative approach to delivering the pipeline, scheduling small packages of work that will each be delivered in a relatively short timeframe. Our aim is to keep impacts on landowners to a minimum, and coordinate works at road crossings to reduce disruption to the local road network.

The majority of the onshore pipeline would be built using ‘open trenching’ methods, this involves:

• Surveying and clearing the site
• Laying out pipe sections
• Welding the pipe sections together
• Inspecting pipeline welds and applying final coating
• Excavating a trench for the pipeline
• Lowering pipeline into the trench
• Backfilling the trench and burying the pipeline
• Hydrotesting the pipeline (pressure testing with water)
• Undertaking site restoration and reinstatement

The area within which we’d lay the pipeline (the ‘working width’) would be around 30-40 metres. This provides a safe area for those laying the pipe to work within, and room for construction vehicles.

Between the above ground infrastructure (AGI) at the end of the Wirral and mean low water springs, we’ll build up to two offshore pipelines.

• Between the Coastal AGI and the shoreline, the pipelines would be primarily built using the ‘open trench’ method, as described in onshore pipeline section above. The area within which we’ll lay the pipelines (the ‘working width’) would likely to range from 50-100 metres, providing a safe area for those laying the pipe to work, and room for the construction vehicles. Depending on the construction techniques chosen, construction in this area is expected to take around 9-12 months.
• Between the shoreline to mean low water springs, we’ll use both trenchless pipe construction and open cut trench. The trenchless section at the shoreline would likely drill beneath the Wallasey Embankment. Beyond this, we’ll bury the pipelines using a trenching technique which involves pulling them onshore from an offshore vessel.
• Beyond mean low water springs, the proposed construction (including the construction and operation of the pipelines) will not be consented as part of the Peak Cluster project. Spirit Energy will seek the necessary permissions from Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

To lay pipeline in the shallow water (approximately 6km out to sea), we’d use a jack up or barge mounted excavator or vacuum dredger to create a trench. The pipeline would be pulled to shore from the offshore pipe laying vessel.

The remainder of the offshore pipeline, between the shallow water and the CO₂ store, would be laid by a specialist pipe laying vessel. The pipe would be laid in to a trench in the seabed. Where the pipe needs to intersect existing infrastructure, crossings would be designed to protect that infrastructure.

You can find out more about how Spirit Energy are planning to construct this part of the pipeline here.

We’d build the pipeline in sections, ensuring the trench in which we’d bury the pipeline is open for as little time as possible for any individual section

Because of the weather, typically sections would be completed between April and October. The bulk of construction works would be much shorter than this in any one location, however the working width would remain open to construction traffic throughout the whole summer season to minimise disruption on local roads.

We’ll work during the winter months in areas where we’ll use trenchless techniques to build the pipeline, and where we’ll build Above Ground Installations or Block Valve Stations. We’ll set up main works compounds to store materials and equipment, which may be in situ for the duration of the construction period (up to three years). The proposed locations for these are yet to be decided.

Depending on the construction techniques chosen, construction between the AGI at the end of the Wirral and the shoreline would expect to take around 9-12 months.

The pipeline would be buried at a minimum depth of 1.2 metres to the top (crown) of the pipe, or below the depth of normal agricultural activity, whichever is deeper. In areas of shallow rock, we may reduce this depth to a minimum of 0.5 metres below ground level.

The pipeline would generally follow the natural contours of the ground and would pass beneath any existing infrastructure or watercourse. This means in many places the pipeline would be buried deeper than 1.2 metres.

Once the pipeline is laid, we’d reinstate the land to its original use—for example agriculture, wherever possible. We’d also reinstate farm tracks, fencing, drystone walls and hedgerows.

As with all major utilities, the pipeline would be protected by an ‘Easement’ or similar legal arrangement. In broad terms, this means that new fencing, tracks or paths and some bushes may be built, and planted, directly above the pipeline, but in an area of land above the pipeline it would not be possible to construct new buildings or to plant certain species of trees.

We’d build an access track for our vehicles and machinery to travel the route of the pipeline—this would be included within ‘working width’ area and greatly reduces construction traffic use on local roads. We’d also build construction compounds  at points along the route so we can store materials and equipment. The locations and size of these will be established as we progress the project’s design.

It was important to us to establish the carbon impact of the project versus the carbon emissions we could remove from the environment. Whilst we cannot know the exact carbon impact of delivering Peak Cluster until we’ve developed a full design, we’ve carried out a preliminary carbon life cycle assessment. This is a report which considers all the equipment and materials we’re likely to need to build the project, and identifies the ’embedded carbon’ (which means the total CO₂ emissions from the entire life cycle of a product—from raw material extraction and manufacturing to transport and disposal). It also considers the ‘operational carbon’ (or the carbon likely to be emitted as part of the construction process).

The report then compared these figures to the carbon savings the project will likely deliver by capturing carbon emissions from the cement and lime manufacturing process. The results showed us that although developing Peak Cluster would create carbon dioxide,  the drop in CO₂ from more sustainable cement and lime production would balance this out very quickly—likely within a few months.

The onshore pipeline design life is specified as 40 years, but with proper operation and maintenance its lifespan would be extended far beyond this.

The carbon capture facilities would take around three years to build from the start of construction.

The Coastal AGI is expected to take around 16 to 18 months to build. Construction would include:

• site preparation
• delivering construction materials
• carrying out earthworks and civil construction
• installing equipment
• laying and connecting pipework
• installing electrical systems and instrumentation
• completing testing and commissioning before the site becomes operational

We expect that all construction activities would be contained within the 300m x 180m site area.