Flogas Submits Planning Application for Liquid Gas Pipeline

Flogas Britain, one of the UK’s leading liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) suppliers, has submitted a planning application to both Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council for a new underground pipeline to link its gas storage terminal in Hallen, near Avonmouth, to the Port of Bristol.

The proposed development consists of a twin LPG pipeline from Avonmouth Docks (The Port of Bristol) to Flogas’ Avonmouth gas storage depot, installation of a new jetty facility within the port and additional gas handling and truck loading equipment at the terminal itself.

The purpose of the pipeline is to eliminate the need to fill the facility by road tanker which will avoid ca. 280,000km of HGV travel p.a. It will also open up access to diverse international markets for the import of liquid gas, essential to underpin long-term security of supply for off-grid consumers in the UK, and to reduce CO2 emissions by hundreds of thousands of tonnes per annum, by enabling users of more polluting heating oil to switch to cleaner liquid gas.

A liquid gas pipeline in Avonmouth is consistent with both Bristol City & South Gloucestershire’s visions, core plans, and planning policy frameworks. Flogas is committed to supporting the Government’s net zero targets by endeavouring to supply 100% renewable energy solutions to its customers by 2040.

Switching large numbers of homes and businesses away from higher CO2-emitting oil to liquid gas can only be achieved with significant additional supply into the UK market.

The pipeline will initially transport LPG but will be designed to be able to carry other liquid gases in the future. Flogas is working with industry and academic partners to research the role that low carbon liquid gases will have in helping to achieve net zero and has already imported biopropane to the UK, a sustainable liquid gas made from renewable crops and waste feed stocks which can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to oil. The pipeline will provide a step change in Flogas’ ability to import larger quantities of such fuels economically.

A spokesperson for Flogas Britain said: “We converted our Avonmouth facility to become the UK’s largest strategic store of liquid gas, to ensure reliable energy for UK off-grid homes and businesses. We believe that low carbon liquid fuels will be a vital part of the UK’s future energy mix, particularly for those homes which are unsuitable for heat pumps and for those industrial processes that can’t be electrified.”