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Gas pipeline at Fawkham

Gas pipeline at Ash

Travelling along the Fawkham Valley Road or Ash Road in Ash recently, you can hardly fail to have noticed the large scale engineering works - but what is it all about?

This is part of works to lay a 1,200mm (42 inch) diameter gas main between existing Above Gas Installations in Farningham and High Halden, a distance of 37 miles.  In about 1998 the then owner National Grid Transco identified a need to reinforce gas supplied in South-east England by the construction of this pipeline.  The 23 miles of phase 1 from High Halden to Hadlow was completed in 2000/1.  In 2005 Scotia Gas Networks took over Transco's business in southern England and reappraised the project, but arrived at the same conclusions.  The alternatives of do nothing and transporting liquified natural gas by road or rail were rejected.  Do nothing would threaten their statutory obligation to supply sufficient gas, while tranporting LNG is difficult and expensive.

Phase 2 of the project is now under construction and is the 14 miles to link Farningham and Hadlow.  When complete the pipeline gas pressure will be 38 bar.

The pipeline is expected to go on line in 2010.  Offgem estimate the total construction costs to be £40,084,700 (including risk contingency).  The biggest costs are for the actual construction (£19.7 million), the pipes (£11.7 million), and pressure reduction stations (£3.7 million).

Phase 3 of the project will see pressure reduction installations at High Halden and Hadlow and an increase of pressure on the pipeline from 38 to 55 bar.  The pipeline will be capable of taking 70 bar pressure.

Locally the pipeline will run from Horton Wood in Fawkham, down the valley south of Fawkham School, to cross the Valley Road.  It then runs between Fawkham Green and New Ash Green, and crosses Ash Road by Heaver Tropics.  After passing to the north of Ash Church, it then turns south to shadow South Ash Road until it reaches the A20.