Petition launched against ExxonMobil’s proposed Solent CO₂ Pipeline Project from Fawley refinery

A PETITION has been launched challenging ExxonMobil’s plan to run a carbon dioxide pipeline through the Forest.

Consultant NHS physician Dr Bryan Sheinman, who lives at Buckler’s Hard, set up the online petition highlighting the “health and environmental risks” such a pipeline could pose.

As reported by the A&T, the oil giant is proposing running a CO₂ pipeline from Fawley to a subterranean saline aquifer off the coast of the Isle of Wight.

One of the proposed routes cuts 20 miles across the Forest via Lepe to the coast between Milford and Barton, while the other two run through the island.

A similar petition set up by islanders has attracted more than 30,000 signatures.

Dr Sheinman launched his petition after New Forest District Council’s Conservative member for Hardley, Holbury and North Blackfield, Cllr Allan Glass, claimed Exxon preferred the mainland route.

He told the A&T: “In terms of environmental damage, laying a pipe through areas of farmland and human habitation on the Forest, with the disruption it would cause and the time it would take to restore the land afterwards, would be enormous.

“The important thing to understand about carbon dioxide is that it’s used to slaughter animals, it makes them unconscious and then kills them within minutes.

“There have been several carbon dioxide pipeline leaks in the US, including one in Louisiana in April.

“Another one that happened in Mississippi in 2020 was particularly bad and led to more than 40 hospitalisations for people suffering from CO₂ poisoning and oxygen deprivation.”

He continued: “The risk of death posed by these carbon pipelines if they rupture is definitely a concern. It’s only by the grace of God there hasn’t been a death already.

“In a heavily populated area like ours, the effect of a leak – which cannot be ruled out – would be immense.

“There are some 15 schools along the proposed Forest pipeline corridor – there are very serious risks in that.”

ExxonMobil’s low carbon solutions venture executive for the UK, Michael Foley, has said: “The UK Climate Change Committee acknowledge carbon capture and storage technology as a game-changer, describing it as a ‘necessity not an option’, and we are proud of the work we are doing to bring it to the Solent, one of the most industrially significant areas in the UK.

“This pipeline, and CCS technology, will not only support the regional economy and maintain high-skilled jobs but will also contribute to the government’s goal of achieving net zero by 2050.”

Mr Sheinman said he is not reassured by Exxon’s proposal to install pipe inspection gauge (PIG) stations along the Forest pipeline route: “Stations like these are there to seal off pipes in sections in case there’s a problem, but that depends on Exxon’s response times in the case of an emergency.”

Mr Sheinman also shared fears over the use of subterranean saline aquifers for carbon storage, saying: “No one really knows how aquifers actually behave.

“Carbon leaks from aquifers can lead to the acidification of the sea and can potentially end up leaching into and affecting drinking water. The science of aquifers for CO₂ storage is woefully incomplete.”

He continued: “This pipeline is not a reasonable thing to suggest for the coastline, either here or on the Isle of Wight. Laying pipelines like this on land can also cause bad soil compaction which can adversely affect plant growth above it.

“My hope is the whole project will be shelved.”

Mr Sheinman said he would prefer to see Exxon invest in developing the technology needed to convert cargo ships for carrying captured carbon to storage sites.

As reported in the A&T, an ExxonMobil representative spokesman had indicated an island route as the preferred option. However, Cllr Glass said a representative has since told him the mainland option was now its number one because “the pipeline would be disturbed by the current [and] affected by dredging”.

However, an ExxonMobil spokesperson told the A&T it had not yet confirmed a route for the project, and its consultation remained open until 30th September

To see the petition, go to https://chng.it/smTMmXV8B6

To have your say on the consultation visit solentco2pipeline.co.uk