The proposed site located on Hobson Way, near Stallingborough is along the industrial area of the South Humber Bank. The site is within an area that is allocated for industrial development. It benefits from a number of key attributes which strategically support energy development at this location:

• A region with a great history of industrial and energy generation with the local skills and expertise to support the site.
• Lies within the Humber Industrial Cluster Plan area (www.humberindustrialclusterplan.org)
• Close to natural gas and electricity connections
• Close proximity to a water supply for cooling purposes
• 4km from the Port of Immingham to assist with deliveries of plant and equipment during construction for minimal disruption
• Close to proposed carbon transportation pipeline
• Ideal topography and ground conditions for construction

Generating plants with carbon capture technology are essential in the UK’s transition to a decarbonised energy system, providing low-carbon, reliable and flexible energy at times when energy from renewable sources is insufficient to meet demand.

In their recent report, the Climate Change Committee notes that in 2035 the British electricity system will require carbon capture and storage (CCS), whether in post-combustion power plants or “blue” hydrogen production to fuel hydrogen turbines. (Blue hydrogen is produced mainly from natural gas, using a process called steam reforming, which brings together natural gas and heated water in the form of steam. The output is hydrogen, but carbon dioxide is also produced as a by-product, unless this is captured as part of the process). Within their central scenario, there is a requirement for 17GWe of dispatchable low-carbon capacity, with a range of 12-20 GW across the scenarios.

This report is available here.

The Stallingborough Generating Plant main site is approximately 33 hectares and is owned by RWE. Additional land will be required for the installation of the electrical connection and gas pipeline. We will be engaging with landowners as part of this process.

As the generating plant will produce more than 50MW of power, it is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and will proceed through the Development Consent Order (DCO) planning process.

The DCO process provides a dedicated framework specifically designed to address the complexities associated with large, complex energy projects (as well as other project types).
Applications for DCOs are examined independently by the Planning Inspectorate. Following an Examination of the project, the Planning Inspectorate will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, who will decide on the outcome of the application.

As the host authority, North East Lincolnshire Council will be a statutory consultee for the application (along with any other relevant planning authorities) and will play an important role in shaping aspects of the project. RWE is committed to working closely with the Council, along with local Parish Councils and statutory consultees such as the Environment Agency and Natural England. As part of this commitment, we will demonstrate a proactive approach to taking onboard feedback and incorporating comments, where possible.

The DCO process is a comprehensive and structured planning procedure, ensuring that all aspects of the development are meticulously scrutinised and involves several stages.

Further information on the DCO process can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

Updates about our project will be posted here.

The Stallingborough Generating Plant will be fuelled by natural gas and therefore will require a new natural gas pipeline to be brought into the generating plant site from the main gas transmission network that runs from Easington to Hatton.

As part of the route lies in North Lincolnshire and West Lindsey we will be consulting with North Lincolnshire and West Lindsey Councils as the host authorities as part of the proposals.

The generating plant will require an electrical connection, to the National Grid Grimsby West Substation (around 4km away or potentially another substation that may be planned as part of the Grimsby to Walpole upgrade), where it will transfer the electricity to the national network. We are exploring options for the connection to the substation, including if it will be via underground cables or overhead lines or a combination of both.

The possible electrical connection and pipeline routes are in the preliminary design phase, undergoing careful planning and assessment. We are looking at a number of options, therefore our plans at this stage show a large area where these potentially may go. We are in the process of contacting landowners within our routing corridors and are undertaking studies to ensure the most appropriate routes are selected.

It is important to note that no electrical apparatus/cables or pipelines will be installed under residential properties or within residential gardens.

The project will be made of a number of component parts including:

• A combined cycle gas turbine generating plant and associated infrastructure.
• Water cooling infrastructure (likely to be abstracted from the Humber Estuary) required as part of the operational processes for the generating plant.
• Carbon capture infrastructure to capture the carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the flue gas emitted during the combustion of natural gas.
• Supporting infrastructure.
• Gas pipeline to supply the fuel to the generating plant.
• Carbon capture pipeline to transport the captured carbon.
• Electricity connection to a National Grid Substation.

The main access to the site will be via Hobson Way. To minimise the impact on local highways, we are exploring the delivery of larger components via the Port of Immingham. We will undertake a transport assessment to look at the potential impacts of the project on the local and strategic road network in the surrounding area. This will also set out the proposed sustainable transport measures that can be implemented during the construction and operational phases of the generating plant to minimise disruption to local roads and communities. This will be consulted on with North East Lincolnshire Council.

We will also prepare a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP), which will look at prescribed routes for construction traffic and any changes that may be necessary to the road network.

We have recently written to those who own or have an interest in land potentially impacted by the project. This includes land in relation to the electricity and gas connection routes. It should be noted that inclusion within the area at this stage does not necessarily mean that the final route will pass through land owned or occupied by you.

We are currently undertaking additional desk-top research and surveys into the existing utilities, potential environmental and physical constraints in order to refine our design. If you have any questions about the letter you have received, please get in touch with us to talk to our lands team.

RWE will be undertaking multiple phases of consultation with the local community, local authority, relevant parish councils and regulatory bodies, such as the Environment Agency, on our proposals.

The first phase of consultation will provide an opportunity to introduce RWE and its consultant team as well as outline the proposals to the community. All feedback from this stage of consultation will be collated and reviewed and used to further refine the proposals before a more detailed plan is presented in the “statutory” consultation planned in 2025.

Public participation is a crucial part of the DCO process. Developers must conduct public consultations and give due consideration to the feedback received.

The feedback we receive at this stage, coupled with the ongoing environmental and technical surveys, will play a crucial role in shaping the design of our proposals that we will present at a further ‘statutory’ consultation in 2025.

As part of the Development Consent Order (DCO) process, RWE will investigate any potential local impacts as a result of the construction and will propose measures to mitigate them if necessary. A Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) will be developed as part of the DCO application to outline how construction activities will be managed throughout the construction process.