Engineers are replacing 100-year-old gas pipes in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex in England, in a project that will help pave the way for biomethane distribution across the local network.
Cadent, the UK's largest gas distribution network, began work on Kirby Road on 23 February, replacing 800 metres of gas main pipelines originally installed in the 1920s.
The new pipes are expected to last for decades, future-proofing the network — and critically, enabling the transition to greener gases including biomethane.
Amber Greensmith, Head of Customer Experience at Cadent, said the upgrades would bring significant environmental benefits alongside practical improvements. "These upgrades also have big environmental gains, as they reduce methane emissions and enable a move to more renewable gases like biomethane," she said. "This is essential for a cleaner future."
With more than 85 per cent of homes in the area relying on gas central heating, maintaining a reliable and modernised network is a priority. Upgraded pipework is a prerequisite for carrying biomethane — a renewable gas produced from organic waste — at scale, making infrastructure projects such as this one a key step in the UK's longer-term decarbonisation of heat.
The work will also affect neighbouring roads including Gouldings Avenue, Grove Avenue and Butchers Lane, with a mixture of road closures, multi-way traffic lights and single-lane access in place throughout. The project runs until 12 June following consultation with Essex County Council.
Gas supply will remain on for the duration of the works. Properties taking a direct feed from the pipes being replaced will experience a brief disconnection — restored the same day — as they are connected to the new pipe. Advance notice will be given to affected households.
Century-old gas pipes replaced in Essex biomethane upgrade
