Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the gas distributor for the North of England, has begun work to safely dismantle and remove the gas holder in South Gosforth Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Work on the facility, which opened in 1964 and was decommissioned in April 2016, started in earnest in April 2023. The scheme will involve the removal of the underground holder tank and is scheduled to be completed by September 2023.
Mark Johnson, Senior Project Manager from NGN’s Capital Projects team, said: “The decision has been made to dismantle the gas holder at South Gosforth as it is no longer in use due to advances in technology.
“We’ll be working with a specialist contractor to carry out the work in a safe and environmentally responsible way.
“We know how important these structures can be to some communities, so would encourage anyone with memories of the holder to share them with us by emailing gasholdermemories@northerngasnetworks.co.uk ”
The gas holder was designed and built with a height of 9.5m at rest and 28m when fully inflated. Given a diameter of 66.5m, when in service it could hold up to 2.8 million cubic feet of gas.
For around 100 years, gas holders were a vital part of the local gas supply system, responsible for storing manufactured coal gas which was supplied to thousands of people across the region. In more recent years, they were used to bolster the network’s gas supplies at peak times, during colder weather.
However, advances in technology and the enhanced storage capability of the modern-day gas network, means that gas holders are no longer required.
NGN is committed to taking down its gas holders in an environmentally responsible way, by recycling as many materials as possible.
For further information about the work please contact NGN’s Customer Care Team on 0800 040 7766 or email: customercare@northerngas.co.uk.
Anyone that smells gas or suspects carbon monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
ENDS
