NMC
Consultation

The Proposed Jetty, and associated dredging, should now be designed to facilitate a maximum vessel size of approximately 20,000m³, rather than the maximum 15,000m³ that was previously considered in the application documentation.

Such a change will enable fewer vessel movements which would:

• facilitate more economically efficient operation (aligned with Government objectives) due to less fuel consumption, port fees and capital costs;
• allow for a faster CO₂ unloading rate when it reaches its destination terminal, which will be beneficial to the CCS sector as a whole, given consideration of the other potential users that would be using the Immingham Green Energy Terminal when Viking CCS is taken forward; and
• would allow for lower carbon intensity of the transport movements associated with the Proposed Scheme.

Facilitating vessels of approximately 20,000m³ means that the following matters of relevance to the Proposed Scheme will be sought to be dealt with in the Change Application:

• A change to navigational risk, given the size and number of vessel movements will be changed, necessitating an update to the Preliminary Navigational Risk Assessment (‘NRA’) which we will undertake in engagement with key stakeholders such as the PLA and CLdN.

• Whilst the limits of deviation shown on the Works Plans will not change as a result of the proposed Change, there would be:
• an increase in assumed capital dredging volume (by approximately 40,000m³) to account for small changes in jetty design, which, although not a secured number, will need to be considered from an assessment perspective; and
• a likely increase in the size of the sheet pile retaining wall either side of the dredged pocket (by a combined approximately 70m) which, although not a secured parameter, will need to be considered from an assessment perspective.
• The downwards limits of deviation for dredging, as set out in article 2 of the draft DCO will need to be increased from minus 10.50 chart datum to minus 11.00 chart datum.

This is the only design change to the Proposed Scheme required (which would be achieved through amending article 2 of the draft DCO (APP-018) and no changes are required to any of the certified plans. In particular, the Applicant confirms that the change to provision for vessels of approximately 20,000m³ would not require any changes in the size of the LCO₂ Buffer Storage Area, because the area is already of sufficient size to facilitate loading of vessels of that capacity.