£11.6m gas project in Rochdale and Hollinwood is on track for completion

Cadent is undertaking improvement works to its Rochdale depot

Cadent Gas, which manages the North West’s 21,000-mile gas mains network, is aiming to complete the construction of new facilities to manage the safe flow of gas into thousands of homes by the end of this year.

The £11.6m project will see new ‘above-ground installations’ (AGIs) built within the grounds of existing depots in Rochdale and nearby Hollinwood, in Oldham.

These sites receive gas at high pressure and, through a series of on-site processes, reduce that pressure and heat the gas for its safe onward underground journey to customers’ homes.

These critical projects were already well-advanced as the UK went into lockdown, so the teams had to adapt to keep the builds going.

Work undertaken by Cadent and the other energy networks has been classed by UK Government as essential during the coronavirus pandemic, in maintaining a safe supply of gas.

Cadent’s Callum Finegan, who is managing both projects, said: “It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the initial concepts come alive on site. These jobs have not been without their challenges – big engineering projects never are – but we’ve responded brilliantly and kept the projects on track.”

The two new facilities are replacing very old existing ones, which are nearing the end of their safe operational lives. They are part of a network which helps Cadent distribute gas to hundreds of thousands of buildings in Rochdale, Oldham and Manchester, and the wider area.

At the site in Rochdale, close to the town centre, the project involves replacing each section of the existing AGI with new, modern equipment in a phased way – in effect, replacing the AGI section-by-section, with the team commissioning each section (bringing them into operation) as they go.

“This is major investment, and big engineering, to secure a safe and reliable gas supply for generations,” said Callum.

“These facilities help distribute gas to keep thousands of local homes warm.

“They’ll have the latest technology, including noise-reducing elements that will make our operations much quieter for our neighbours.

“It’s also part of a larger commitment to get the gas networks ready to carry ever-greener gases like biomethane and hydrogen – both of which will be crucial to the UK achieving its net zero ambition.”